GoFundMe alternatives in Nigeria for weddings, birthdays and burials
The short answer
GoFundMe lets you create a fundraiser only in 20 supported countries, and Nigeria isn't one of them, so a host living in Nigeria can't run one for their own event. The workable options are a relative abroad organising for you, a Paystack or Flutterwave payment link, a wedding registry such as Iludio, your own account number, or an event page like Spray. Each fits a different situation, and the table below compares them.
- GoFundMe supports fundraiser creation in 20 countries; Nigeria is not on the list.
- A fundraiser created from an unsupported country can have its funds refunded.
- Paystack's published local fee is 1.5% + NGN 100, capped at NGN 2,000.
- Iludio charges a 3.5% + ₦250 handling fee on wedding cash funds, paid by guests.
- A bare account number takes money but doesn't tell you who sent what for which item.
Does GoFundMe work in Nigeria?
20 countries
GoFundMe supports creating fundraisers in 20 countries, including the UK, the US and Canada. Nigeria is not one of them.1
The location of a fundraiser is set when it's created. GoFundMe's rules say organisers outside the supported countries must not create fundraisers, and if they do, the funds may be refunded and the account removed. So for a wedding, a birthday or a burial in Nigeria, organised by someone living in Nigeria, GoFundMe is not an option.1
The alternatives, one by one
1. A relative abroad organises it. Someone in the UK, the US or another supported country creates the fundraiser and receives the money, then sends it home. This works, and GoFundMe's reach abroad is real. The downside is trust and transparency: the money lands in one relative's account first, everyone at home has to take their word for the total, and the transfer home is another step with its own cost.
2. A Paystack or Flutterwave payment link. You create a link and guests pay by card, transfer or other local channels. Paystack's published Nigerian fee is 1.5% + NGN 100 on local payments, capped at NGN 2,000, with the NGN 100 waived under NGN 2,500. Flutterwave lists 2% on local payments and 4.8% on international ones, plus 7.5% VAT on fees. You need a business account, and the link takes payments: it doesn't keep a guest list or tie a payment to an item.23
3. Iludio, for weddings. Iludio is a Nigerian wedding registry. Guests buy physical gifts, which are delivered after the event, or give to cash funds. Iludio charges a 3.5% + ₦250 handling fee on cash funds, paid by guests at checkout, and pays out in naira to a Nigerian bank account within 5 business days. Card payments are for amounts under ₦1,000,000. If you want gifts bought and delivered for you, it's built for that.4
4. Your own account number. Most common, and free to receive. The problem is the record: transfers arrive with a sender name that may not match the guest, nothing says what each payment was for, and the reconciling falls on you. Fake payment alerts are also a known trick, so check every credit in your banking app, not on a screenshot.5
5. Spray. An event page for Nigerian celebrations. Each page gets its own account number, and guests pay by transfer or by card, including from abroad in pounds, dollars, euros or Canadian dollars if the host turns them on. Every payment is matched to a guest and an item. The page can also sell Aso Ebi with stock and closing dates, run a wishlist of funds and take cash gifts. Setting up is free; there's a small fee of ₦100 + 1.5% per payment, never more than ₦2,000, and the host chooses per section who covers it. Spray doesn't buy or deliver physical gifts: when a wishlist item is funded, the money goes to the host's bank account.
Side by side
| Option | Works for a host in Nigeria | Fee (as published) | Who gave what, for what | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GoFundMe, run by a relative abroad | Only through the relative | See their site | The family relies on the relative for the total | Most givers are abroad and one relative is trusted by all |
| Paystack payment link | Yes, with a business account | 1.5% + NGN 100 local, capped at NGN 2,000; 3.9% + NGN 100 international | Payments listed; not matched to guests or items | You sell one simple thing and are comfortable with a business account |
| Flutterwave payment link | Yes, with a business account | 2% local, 4.8% international, plus 7.5% VAT on fees | Payments listed; not matched to guests or items | Same as above |
| Iludio (weddings) | Yes | Cash funds 3.5% + ₦250, paid by guests | Gift tracker for thank-yous | You want physical gifts bought and delivered |
| Your own account number | Yes | None to receive | Nothing beyond the sender name | A small event with a few close givers |
| Spray | Yes | ₦100 + 1.5% per payment, never more than ₦2,000; host chooses who covers it | Each payment matched to a guest and an item | Aso Ebi, a wishlist of funds and cash gifts on one link |
For a burial
Burial costs often arrive at short notice and fall on a few people. BusinessDay reported in January 2025 that relatives returning from abroad often fund, and raise, the costliest items.6
over ₦15,000,000
One Lagos funeral planner told BusinessDay in January 2025 that a standard burial package which cost ₦3,500,000 in 2021 now goes for over ₦15,000,000. This is one planner's estimate, not a national figure.6
What matters most at this time is a clear record that the whole family can trust. A UK study of bereaved people found that the tasks after a death are time-sensitive and come at a vulnerable moment, and that people wanted one place to deal with them.7
- Agree as a family who receives the money before anything is shared.
- A relative abroad organising on GoFundMe can reach friends overseas, but the family at home depends on that one person for the figures.
- A Spray remembrance page uses a quiet design, calls its giving section Contributions, records each contribution with a name, and hides who has given from other visitors by default.
- Money handed over at the house can be logged on the same record.
How to collect with Spray instead
Choose your event
Go to Create your Spray page and pick Wedding, Birthday, Baby shower, Housewarming or Remembrance. Setting up is free.
Add what guests can give to
Cash gifts with suggested amounts, wishlist items guests can chip into, and Aso Ebi if you're selling fabric.
Verify and turn on payments
Confirm who you are and add a bank account in your name. Your page then gets its own account number.
Turn on other currencies if relatives are abroad
Guests abroad can pay by card in pounds, dollars, euros or Canadian dollars; it reaches you in naira.
Share one link
Spray writes the WhatsApp message with your link and account number. Every payment shows up on your dashboard with a name.
Questions
- Does GoFundMe work in Nigeria?
- Not for organisers living in Nigeria. GoFundMe supports fundraiser creation in 20 countries and Nigeria isn't one; fundraisers created from unsupported countries may be refunded.
- Can a relative abroad start a GoFundMe for my wedding or a burial?
- Yes, if they live in a supported country. The money goes to them first and they send it home, so the family has to trust their figures.
- What is a good GoFundMe alternative for funeral expenses in Nigeria?
- One page with one account number that records every contribution by name, agreed by the family. Spray's remembrance pages do this and hide who has given from other visitors by default.
- How much does a Paystack payment page cost?
- Paystack publishes 1.5% + NGN 100 for local payments, capped at NGN 2,000, with the NGN 100 waived under NGN 2,500. International cards are 3.9% + NGN 100.
- How do I raise money for my wedding in Nigeria?
- Share one place to give: a registry like Iludio if you want physical gifts delivered, or an event page like Spray for cash gifts, wishlist funds and Aso Ebi matched to each guest.
Sources
- GoFundMe, 2026. Supported countries
- Paystack, 2026. What are Paystack's transaction fees?
- Flutterwave, 2026. Pricing (Nigeria)
- Iludio, 2026. Help and FAQ
- Dubawa, 2024. How to identify fake bank alerts generated by flash fund apps
- BusinessDay, 2025. Funerals in Detty December: The soaring cost of saying goodbye in peak season
- Towers et al., Bereavement, 2023. Perspectives on death administration following a bereavement