All Unregistered Bank Accounts To Be Blocked After October 31 Deadline

The Bankers’ Committee, an umbrella body of managing directors of deposit money banks in the country and directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has called on bank customers who are yet to obtain their Bank Verification Number (BVN) to do so between this period and October 31 to avoid last-minute rush.

The committee made it clear that it would not extend the deadline after October 31 and would not allow any customer that failed to register to make use of unregistered accounts.

While briefing the media at the end of the meeting over the weekend, Managing Director of Ecobank Nigeria, Mr. Jubril Aku, said the committee, after its review, agreed that the October 31 deadline was sacrosanct.

“We noted that October 31 is the deadline and we looked at it again that we don’t want what happened the other time where there was a rush towards the end of the deadline. We want to make sure that we continue to sensitise bank customers so that they would come and do their BVN because there would be no extension.

“Once that deadline passes, you will not be able to operate that account. All efforts have been made to ensure that the registration process is seamless for customers to come and obtain their BVN. With 29 days to the deadline, we are reaching out to customers to come and enroll for their BVN because once that deadline passes, you will not be able to operate your account.”

Aku further explained that facilities had been made available for Nigerians in diaspora to enroll and if they go to the embassy or the branch of any Nigerian bank in their jurisdiction,they would be able to do the registration.

“We also have a consultant for those in the diaspora. While it is free at the embassy or the branch of any Nigerian bank, the consultant can do it for a fee.

“We have seen the progress going on, but we want the customers to know that these deadlines would be enforced. We don’t want a situation where, five days to the end of the month, we would see the crowd we saw the other time,” he said.