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Posted by Felix Okoli on Wednesday October 28, 2015 at 14:45:56:

I believe every bank account holder in Nigeria now knows what a BVN is and the importance of having one. If you don't have a BVN yet, your bank account will be suspended but I don't know what will happen to the funds later on.

It's one thing to do a biometric registration with a bank to get your BVN and another thing to link/update them to your bank account. It probably gets harder if you have multiple bank accounts and have to link them all up to that BVN. Yes, you'll have to link them all up because it seems that the banks don't have a access to that central pool to access our BVN information.

Well, Nigerian banks now offer a variety of ways through which an account holder who has done his/her BVN with a third party bank can link them to his/her account without the need to do a new registration.

Ways to link your BVN:
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1. Physical Visit: This is the hardest, I have to say because it involves you sparing your personal time, transport and energy to visit a local bank. This is the option most Nigerians who don't know about other options make use of but smart Nigerians know better. It involves visiting each of your banks and filling a BVN account linkage form including your BVN, account number and other details. I though about this first option but since I was too busy, I gave up on it.

2. Phone call: Yes, this is the easiest way to link your BVN to your account. Just call the customer service for your bank and tell them your account number and BVN. They would also ask you some other personal questions to confirm you are the one and they would just link it up for you. It's normally good to make the phone call using your registered phone number with the bank. You should know the official contact number of your bank if you want to make use of this method.

3. Dialing a USSD code: This is one cool feature I also used. It involves dialing a code from your bank's registered phone number and including your BVN when required. Your bank account will automatically be linked up and you'd get a confirmation that it was successful.

4. Sending an SMS: I did this for one of my bank accounts. It basically inovles you sending an SMS to a dedicated phone number owned by your bank in a particular format and it normally includes your BVN. Once successful, an immediate feedbaCk will be received. It was really easy.

5. Sending an email: This is also for Nigerians who already know how to use the internet such as sending an email. All you need to do is send an email to the official email address of your bank(s) telling them your BVN number and account number(s). You should receive a feedback that the mail was sent and another feedback that your BVN has been updated.

6. Filling a web(online) form: Some Nigerian banks have also deployed online forms on the web that allows bank account holders to fill in their BVN details. It normally required them filling in their account number, phone number, email and account name apart from the BVN. When filled, you should submit it and you'd get a feedback that it was successful. I noticed that GTBank and First Bank of Nigeria were using this option.

Here are some of the specific ones I know of
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1. Fidelity send BVN to 0903509000 or dial *565*0#.
2. Skye Call customer service on 08069880000
3. GTBank web form: https://www.gtbank.com/bvnlinking
4. UBA USSD option: Dial *919*6#
5. First Bank web form: http://bvn.firstbanknigeria.com/form/ done
6. Union bank:n Text BVN to 20123 in format BVN 222+++ AccountNumber 22143448493 or email customerservice@ unionbankng.com
7. Access Bank: SMS BVN to 20121
8. Diamond Send SMS to 30811 in the format: "BVN: 202++++"
9. FCMB send email to customerservice@fcmb.com indicating your account number and BVN

The deadline for BVN registration and account linking is the 31st of October according to the CBN but I wonder if that date is realistic.

I know of people who are tired of the BVN troubles and some who have already done their registration don't even have the time to start going to their banks just to link it to their account.

I do hope they read the tips I've provided because there are now easy ways to link your BVN from wherever you are in the world.

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Comments:
Re: 6 Ways to link your BVN to your bank account in Nigeria Reply by Adebisi sanjo on Wednesday October 28, 2015 at 18:26:51:

I send my BVN number to my firstbank account from my fidelity account i did not get any confirmation message from firstBank

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Re: 6 Ways to link your BVN to your bank account in Nigeria Reply by olu on Monday December 7, 2015 at 5:50:9:

Please regarding my bvn,am living in abroad and I bank with ecobank,after logged out of internet banking platform there is a place which requires bvn to be summitted,I have entered my bvn number more than 3 times and my account is still blocked,I one day I managed to reached there customer services through phone because most of there number are not working and I spoke with a lady an she said she will passed my bvn number to the branch that the account was opened,till today my account is till locked through the internet platform and when ever I called the branch the account was opened through phone no one is picking my call.please what can I do

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Re: 6 Ways to link your BVN to your bank account in Nigeria Reply by Felix Okoli on Monday December 7, 2015 at 5:50:9:

Perhaps, you can send someone to submit your BVN physically at the bank.

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Re: 6 Ways to link your BVN to your bank account in Nigeria Reply by VisitorAnne oluyemisi Adisa on Tuesday May 17, 2016 at 11:43:50:

I did my BVN in fleet Street since Nov last year I was told they will email me my no up till now not revived it.

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Re: 6 Ways to link your BVN to your bank account in Nigeria Reply by Felix Okoli on Tuesday May 17, 2016 at 11:43:50:

You can call or email the bank to know what's up

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