BVN does not have expiration date -CBN spokesman affirms

By Felix Okpe, Abuja

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, through its spokesperson has clarified that the Bank Verification Number, BVN, has no expiry date, contrary to the yearning of many Nigerians that the BVN will expire soon.

Congress learnt that the CBN’s spokesman, Dr Isa AbdulMumin, clarified a statement last night in a meeting in Abuja while reacting to media reports that the BVN will expire after 10 years.

The spokesperson further explained that the attention of the CBN had been drawn to reports suggesting that the BVN issued by the bank in collaboration with the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System, NIBSS, expires after 10 years period.

He said, “Contrary to these claims, we wish to clarify that the BVN issued in Nigeria has no expiry date.

“Once a customer’s biometrics have been captured and enrolled in the database of NIBSS, the BVN remains for life.

However, the Regulatory Framework for BVN issued by the CBN in 2021 stipulates that customers can only change their records due to certain conditions spelt out in the document and after being cleared by relevant authorities.

Dr Isa urged Nigerians and bank customers in the country, especially those whose biometrics had been captured by the system, to continue using their unique identifiers as long as it would last their entire lifetime.