Link your NIN, BVN to your bank account in 4 easy steps

The goal of Nigerian banks is to ensure that all their customers comply with the regulatory requirement to link their BVN and NIN to their accounts The initiative aims to enhance the security of banking transactions and ensure compliance with national regulatory requirements The step-by-step process will help customers minimise the risk of identity theft, fraudulent transactions and unauthorised access to their bank account

Here we will show you how to link your NIN.

In case you have not been able to access your bank account, the CBN has, in a circular dated 1 December 2023, asked banks to impose restrictions on all Tier 1 bank accounts without a BVN.

Level 1 accounts are accounts that the bank can open with a valid identity or proof of address.

Certain banks have begun to apply the rule, after the deadlines of 29 February 2024 and 1 March, hence the ‘freezing’ of bank accounts. Others have taken measures such as withholding information on customer account balances.

But what is the NIN and why do I need to register?

The National ID Number (NIN) is made up of 11 unintelligible digits, i.e. digits whose sequence is random and which have no “recognisable” pattern or system, making them difficult to interpret or falsify. A Nigerian citizen is assigned a NIN after registration in the National Identity Database (NIDB), which is used to link all records relating to him in the database and to establish or verify his identity.

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As for the Bank Verification Number (BVN), this is a biometric technology that the CBN, in collaboration with NIBSS, has introduced as a means of identifying and verifying individuals who have one or more accounts in any Nigerian bank. It is also expected to improve the banking industry’s ability to identify blacklisted customers, while serving as a universal means of identification in all Nigerian banks.

The procedure

You can link your BVN or NIN to your bank account in one of the following ways:

By text message

You simply text the BVN/NIN, your account number and the BVN/NIN number to the number/code provided by your service provider or bank. For Zenith Bank users, for example

Users of Zenith Bank, dial *966*NIN# and follow the instructions.

Access Bank users, dial *901*11# from your registered telephone number. 

Using Internet Banking

Log on to your bank’s online banking platform and select the BVN/NIN option.  

Click on “new request” and enter your BVN/NIN, 

Select the bank that issued your BVN/NIN. 

Answer the secret question and follow the instructions.

Email request

Send an e-mail request to your Account Manager. You can find your account manager via the online banking platform.

Visiting your bank

If you have any other concerns, questions or queries, visit your nearest bank branch.