In Nigeria, bank verification is very compulsory for every bank customer, and without it, you won’t have access to your money.
There are certain situation that will make us want to change the details on our bvn like name, date of birth, phone number, and the address.
So this leads us to the question of the day, can i change my bvn name in any bank.
Here, any bank simply means the bank you have an account with. From my experience I will explain this to you, and also what you need to know when it comes to changing your bvn name.
Let’s proceed.
Can i change my bvn name in any bank?
No. You cannot change your bvn name in any bank except for the bank you enrolled for bvn.
This simply means you cannot make changes to your bvn except for the bank you did your bvn.
For Example;
You did your bvn in Zenith bank, but have bank accounts with gtbank, Access bank and UBA.
You cannot go to gtbank, access bank or uba to change your bvn name or any other details on your bvn name, but rather you can only change your bvn or bvn details in Zenith bank.
This is because you enrolled or did your bvn in Zenith bank.
If you go to gtbank, access bank or uba to make changes to your bvn, they will redirect you to Zenith bank.
This is how bvn ammendment works.
You go to the bank you enrolled for bvn to make any changes to your bank verification number, and this includes changing your bvn name.
When not in Nigeria
In a situation whereby you’re not in Nigeria, and you want to make ammendment to your bank verification number, then you need to contact your bank.
There are centers for it abroad though mostly in UK, US, Canada, or other western countries.
Kindly contact your bank and they will direct you on how to go about it especially if you can make the changes online without needing much long protocols.
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Checking your bvn details
For the fact that I said you can’t change bvn name or details in any other bank except for the bank you enrolled for bvn, that doesn’t neccesarily mean you can’t check your bvn details in any other bank.
Let me explain this to you.
You can check your bvn details in any bank in Nigeria even if you don’t have an account with the bank.
Previously, you can check your bvn details via NIBSS which cost around N25 to check your bvn details, but that has changed recently. You can no longer check your bvn details via NIBSS except if you go to the bank.
If you try to check, it will require you to login.
The only people that can login are banks customer representatives, and which they can help to retrieve your bvn details.
So you can check your bvn details in any given bank even if you don’t have an account with them or do have an account with the bank.
Also you can request for your account officer to help you out though in some occasions you may be ignored unless a good account officer.
So asking can I go to any bank to update my BVN? The answer is no, except for the bank you enrolled for your bvn.
However, you can check your bvn details in any given bank in Nigeria even when you don’t have an account with the bank.
But this will work if you know someone working in that bank else they will ask you to go your bank.
What it entails changing bvn name or details
There are certain things you need to bear in mind when it comes to changing your bvn name, and that is you can only change your bvn name or details once, can’t be changed twiced from my knowledge unless there’s a change to this.
Name Mismatch:
If there’s a mistake or mismatch in your bvn name, it is quite easy to correct the mistake.
For Example.
Your name is Duru Kennedy Kelechi, and this is what appears on your bank account, ID and others information. But on your bvn it states Duru Kennedy Kechi which is not exactly the same with Kelechi.
You will get a mismatch if you try to link your bvn to your bank account because the Kechi and Kelechi are not the same.
So in this type of situation, you need to correct the mistake, and below are the requirements needed from you by the bank.
- An ID that matches your correct name.
- A court affidavit.
Once you have the requirements, head over to the bank you enrolled your bvn, and the changes will be made though it can take up to two weeks or within seven working days.
Complete Change of Name:
If you want to change your name like your surname or all of your names entirely, then you need these requirements.
- An ID that matches the name you want to change to.
- A court affidavit.
- A newspaper publication.
Once you have these requirements, your name will be changed.
But sometimes it can be quite difficult especially if you want to completely change your name.
For Example, the name on your bank account and bvn states Idris Salaudeen, which you now answer Peter Abu, this will be a complete change of name and not just the surname.
In this type of situation, banks will inquire the reason behind the complete change of name and not just the surname.
With a valid reason, the names will be changed especially if you have the required requirements needed from you. It might be stressful for you depending on the bank though.
I have seen a case where this happened because the person converted to Christianity and did a complete change of name.
It wasn’t easy to make the changes on both bank account and bvn, but at the end everything went successfully though with a lot of stress.
Below are the key notes to all I have mentioned here;
- You can’t change your bvn in any bank except for the bank you did bvn.
- You can check your bvn details or name in any given bank even if you don’t have an account with the bank.
- For bvn mismatch, you need an ID and court affidavit to make the corrections.
- For a complete change of name, you need an ID, court affidavit and a newspaper publication.
And that’s all I have to explain in this question of the day, can i change my bvn name in any bank. Remember, you can’t change your bvn name online.
what if I did it at first Bank in odun and now I haved to Lagos an I have a problem with my bvn ,but we have first Bank also at Lagos will I have to go to odun before I could correct this mistake
You can go to any first bank branch in Nigeria for bvn ammendment, though I will recommend you going to their main branch in your location.
So go to any first bank branches in Lagos and do the bvn ammendment.
Hello my name is Isuwa Yahaya, I was banking with UBA until when I had bvn isues, I used my nick name as Komi John to registered the account and now my account was frozen and I cannot register another account cos of two different names, the name on my IDs is Isuwa Yahaya, please can i do total name change? am going for my NYSC by next year and I need to fix things
Hello Isuwa , Where you able to fix it ? I’m having the same issue , I will be waiting for a response from you
Are you trying to tell me that you have an ID that bears your nick name Komi John?
Unless the account isn’t a tier 2 or tier 3 because to open an account with any bank or financial institution, it requires a valid ID.
If you have a valid reason for the change of name, the bank will do it for you but remember, the fingerprint on the said bvn must match yours including the image linked to the bvn.
ok, I have an ID bearing Isuwa Yahaya not Komi John, Isuwa Yahaya is what I want to be bearing in the bank now, it was my biometrics and it’s my picture on the profile, the account is carrying Komi John of which I want it to be changed to Isuwa Yahaya and my national ID is carrying Isuwa even my other supported documents Ma.
Oh, seeing this right now. Just go to the bank to see if you can completely change names on your bank account.
Good Afternoon,
My wife want to change her surname and first name on her bvn but bank said she entitle to change only one name after got NIM, Affidavit and new paper bear the same names.
Perhaps your wife didn’t give a valid reason as to why she wants to change her first name. Although it is much easier to change a last name (surname) compared to changing a first name.
please ma am having a serious issue with my bvn changing the name and date of birth are not correct with my NIN and I have the i.d card too but the mean issue is the bank I used to enroll has been liquidated which is Heritage Bank please ma what do I do from here please.
I’ve said this multiple times, onve your bank no longer exist, you have to go to the cbn office in your state to make changes to your bvn.
pls ma I opened an account that bears agba ebuka Kelvin but I want to change it to agba chukwu ebuka miracle to tally with my in is it possible cos I have submitted everything
pls ma but the are demanding my
working ID that bears the old name and birth certificate but am frustrated cos I don’t have it currently is just the middle name and the last name ma
You don’t have a birth certificate that bears your old name? Then you’ve complicated the entire situation.
Obtaining a birth certificate isn’t difficult. Some are issued during baptism, depending on your faith, or you can obtain one from the court.
Please visit the court and obtain a birth certificate that bears your old name. You can request them to backdate the issuing date. Once you have the certificate, you can implore the bank to accept it even if you don’t have an ID that bears your old name.
Banks are now strict when it comes to changing BVN names and dates of birth.
please I want to change the name on my BVN the former name on my BVN is Edowu Favour Funmi I now wish to be called Idowu Funmi Lydia
Let me ask you: do you have a valid ID that bears the name Edowu Favour Funmi?
If yes, then go to the bank with the ID, and a new ID that bears Idowu Funmi Lydia along with a court affidavit. This will likely require a newspaper publication because you want to change “Favour” to “Lydia.”
Is it possible to change full name on bvn I have valid id for the name.
Honestly, it will be very difficult to completely change your name, especially if you don’t have a good reason for doing so.
You can try, but remember to carry an ID that bears both your old and new names, along with a newspaper publication announcing the change.
Where you able to change it cos I’ve been on these issues since 3yrs now
and what they are telling me is that it can’t be done
I’m tired honestly
Hi. So in my case, BVN is Tari Allagoa Angela but NIN is Allagoa Angela Tari. Whilst i have linked my NIN to all but one banking platform, GTB says I have to change the order of name to be exact. they advised that i go to Access Bank where i did my BVN to do this. Access Bank is requesting that i get a a Court Affidavit to do this. My question is is this correct as there is no error in any of the names, just the order in which they appear.
Actually, banks have their protocols, and it seems your first name, middle name, and last name do not match your BVN.
For example, Angela may be your middle name on your NIN ID, but on your BVN, it is your first name. This is a mismatch that needs to be corrected.
Simply go get the court affidavit and correct the issue.
Thank you.
You are most welcome.
good evening ma I my name on my bvn is Christian Augustine and the name on on all my document Nkaraki nenebari the mistake was made, can change it
Complete change of name? I’m sorry, but that will be difficult because banks don’t accept complete name changes on BVN.
Good evening ma
please I need clarification on this on my Bvn my name is ilori bolanle dayo
while on my NIN is ilori omobolanle Vivian
and date of birth on Bvn too is different from the one on NIN.
what will I do and I want my Bvn to carry the name on my nin
First, is Bolanle still the same as Omobolanle? That us the full pronunciation is Omobolanle.
Second, I believe Vivian is your middle name on your NIN?
Third, you want to replace “Dayo” with “Vivian.”
In this situation, you will need a court affidavit, newspaper publication, and an ID.
In some cases, banks might request an ID that has your old name and your new name. I recommend having a birth certificate with you as well.
For your date of birth, you will need a court affidavit and an ID. Right now, I see banks requesting a birth certificate, especially if you want to change the year on your BVN.
Remember, all this depends on the bank accepting your request and considering it valid.
Hello ma’am! I just change my first name on my BVN and I did it with the bank I generated the BVN, which is Ecobank and I have other account like zenith bank, monipoint, PalmPay and opay. Pls do I need to walk around all the accounts to change the name? Or the Ecobank covers for all?
For bvn? the answer is no.
However, you need to ensure that your bank account name tallies with your BVN.
If your BVN first name is not the same as your other bank account name(s), I recommend that you update all your bank accounts to tally with your BVN first name.
My BVN middle name is tally with my NIN middle name and it is an issue in my bank also heritage bank where I did my BVN has been closed down. please, what can I do cos I can’t do anything on my access bank account now.
Go to Access Bank and tell them that you want to correct your BVN middle name. Let them know that the bank where you enrolled for BVN has been closed down by the CBN.
Access Bank will advise you on what to do.
my BVN middle name is not tally with my NIN middle name and heritage bank where I did my BVN has been closed down. Also it is an issue in my access bank account, due to I can’t do any transactions on my access bank account. please what can I do
Hello ma , please I did my BVN with bank contact workers and didn’t go to a bank and I need to change my BVN name how do I go about it
You mean the bank contract worker’s?
If so, the contract worker’s are under a particular bank in Nigeria.
So you have to go to your bank to change your bvn name.
Hello ma, my BVN middle name does not tally with my NIN middle name. I want to change it, i have my NIN and Court Affidavit. I hope the bank will accept the two ma.
Yes the will as long as it is not a complete change of name.
I’m changing my surname( English name) to native Name.
and also adding my middle name.
will it take how many months? to do that effective change.
because banks didn’t say when
BVN amendment will take a maximum of two weeks at most. Usually, it will take 72 hours to a week.
how long does it take for someone to change their names on bvn in the bank, because I submit the required documents to the bank and nothing has been done.
It usually takes a week but can take up to two weeks.
Do you have your account officer’s phone number?
You can chat with your account officer to find out if your BVN details have been amended.
please ma I want to change my bvn name: Atika Jonathan Isaiah to Atika AYIBAKURO ISAIAH. also my bvn date of birth 24/06/1996 to 24/06/1997
Please kindly go to your bank and do the ammendment. Use the requirements and go to the bank, the bank will do it for you.
please ma, what documents do I need for removal of middle name on my BVN so as to tally with the name on NIN which does not have have middle name?
Did you bother to read the post?
Yes, but I want to know if newspaper publication is needed
As long as it a change of name or adding a new name to bvn and account details, newspaper publication is required.
If you ask me, I will recommend that you update your nin and add your middle name to your nin instead of removing your middle name from your bvn.
It doesn’t cost much to update your nin and reprint it.
Hello, Ma’am.
Firstly, I must commend your good works here. Checking through your consistency in giving constant and valid answers to everyone without demanding a penny really amazed me.
Here’s my question:
I bears Adesola Oluwaseun David on my International Passport and every other credentials but my BVN (Bank account) is carrying “Adesola Seun David”.
What are the necessary documents to go with so as make this change on my BVN to be updated as “Adesola Oluwaseun David”?
Thanks!
Thanks for your kind words. I appreciate.
From your comment, I noticed that “Oluwaseun” was shortened to “Seun.” Some banks will ask you to bring a court affidavit and an ID to make the correction.
While others like First Bank (a very principled bank) will ask you to bring a court affidavit, a newspaper publication, and an ID that bears Adesola Oluwaseun David.
I advise you to contact your account officer to inquire if there’s a need for newspaper publication because this isn’t a change of name, as your name was shortened.
I’m saying this so as not to waste your money on a newspaper publication.
I hope you have your account officer’s phone number?
Yes.
Thank you so much!
good morning madam
happy new month.
please ma, I wanted to know if my name can be corrected because everything about my BVN is a mixed up. my name on my BVN is
first name: SMART
Surname: NIKE
middle: missing
Now my on my NIN and date of birth bare… LEVITE ELISHA UDO-SMART
which is..
first name: ELISHA
Surname: LEVITE
middle name: UDO-SMART
please ma I want to know is this can be corrected in my bank. Access bank.
I have my birth certificate
my affidavit for name change and of date of birth.
also new- paper publication as well.
Hello, good day.
Looking at the names, I would say they are not the same, which might make it quite difficult for you to change.
And again, when you opened your account and enrolled for BVN, I believe the ID you presented bears smart Nike and not Elisha Levite Udo-smart.
Currently, banks no longer accept a complete change of name, and which is what you’re trying to do.
Since you said it is access bank, I recommend you to contact your account officer and explain your situation.
Bit if it’s first bank, I tell you it will be extremely difficult for you.
Now what you have to do is to get the ID that bears Nike smart and also the ID that bears LEVITE ELISHA UDO-SMART.
In a situation like this, banks now request for two IDs.
Please ma
Good morning ma
I want to change the name on my BVN from okeke Ngozika to Uche Ngozi Deborah though I have submitted court affidavit,newspaper publication and my ID too but I don’t know how possible is going to be and if it’s possible how long is going to take for the change to be done??
You have submitted means that the bank accepted your request, right?
Then you shouldn’t worry yourself.
It usually takes a maximum of two weeks for the changes to reflect on your BVN.
In some cases, it will take 72 hours to a week.
I recommend that you obtain your account officer’s phone number and ask him/her to notify you when the changes to your BVN have been made.
I submitted all documents for change of name in zenith bank, but the waiting time is over two weeks now. please what is the duration for change of name(addition of middle name), how can I expedite the process because I will be travelling outside the country soon. thanks for your assistance.
is there any external body responsible for change of information in BVN?
Over two weeks is a long time, but in this type of situation, I always recommend having the phone number of your account officer.
You can always contact the person to find out if the changes have been made or if the request was declined or rejected.
It’s only one external body, which is the NIBSS.
please miss AMARA…. I do a total name change on my BVN detailsto the one on my NIN CREDENTIALS from my bank U.B.A, so I sent them a message concerning the issue.so I was called the customer service representative…she told that IT cannot be done except what NFIU has to do….. I am really confused here now.
Actually, I didn’t understand your write-up, especially this line: “She said that IT cannot be done except what NFIU has to do.”
You can explain better.
the UBA customer care rep said that “I HAVE TO REQUEST FOR NFIU FORM FOR ME TO GET A TOTAL NAME CHANGE”
and please ma I sent you the full details to you via email. my email address is jboykent11@gmail.com
Actually, I didn’t receive any mail from you. What details are you referring to?
My name is Austin onyema I saw your web page online regarding BVN NAME CHANGE , so I thought that maybe you could help me with some questions I have.
please, I want to change my name from ODOEMENA SYLVANUS CHIMA to ONYEMA AUSTIN CHIMA but I was referred to NFIU for a request form on something like, by my bank which is U.B.A,but right now I went to the website for more information on how to go about it and there’s no clear view or clear tab to go and check that,
so please I need your assistance on what I need to actually do have my name changed.
will like if you read my message and reply please thank you so much.
I bet you’re a man right?
You want to change your last name and your middle name, and the question is for what reason?
Secondly don’t you base in Nigeria?
I’m trying to understand why the bank didn’t issue the form to you right inside the bank, and why you’re going to a website for more information whilst you have your Bank to reach out to.
Honestly, I don’t really understand your question.
Hello ma, I have issues with my name on BVN the name on it is AJIBADE Rofiyat Eniola and I have went to the bank (First bank) for correction with all necessary requirements. The bank check my verification details it corrected Emiola Rofiyat Eniola but when I want do something registration that requires for my BVN in another organisation it’s my former name that comes out. Am totally fed up of this since 2015. Even on my Opay BVN information it my former name that appear Which is AJIBADE Rofiyat Eniola
When you noticed that you bvn details still shows your old name, did you bother going back to the bank to inform them? This means the bvn ammendment wasn’t properly done.
You need to go to the bank and inform them that what they did did not go through.
Good morning ma
My Name is Tuoyo Ochuko Clement, that is the name on my credentials and my NIN, but on BVN is Tuoyo Oluwatimileyin Clement, ma my question is now with affidavit is it possible for me to change the middle name Oluwatimileyin to Ochuko.
Yes, it is possible, but in this case, it will be treated as a change of name, so you will also need a court affidavit.
Hi, ma…
I have been trying to do a complete name change at first bank from ‘Mary Blessing Okere’ to ‘Michelle Chinonso Tochukwu’ which has proven very difficult. I have resolved to change it from ‘Mary Blessing Okere’ to ‘Michelle Blessing Tochukwu’.
I need your professional advice on whether this will be possible and how to go about it.
Professional advice, you say? You didn’t state the reason for wanting a complete change of name.
Here’s the truth, banks will not accept a complete change of name, especially in the last few years.
You can only change two names depending on the reason you have with your bank.
Lastly, I don’t know the reason why you want to change your BVN name, because it simply means that your account name will be changed as well, and you must have an ID that bears your new name.
Here’s the thing, for your privacy, I recommend that you contact your account officer and have a chat with the person.
Explain your issue in details to your accountofficer, and I’m sure your account officer will direct you accordingly.
Thank you for your swift response. Trust me, I have explained to everyone I have met at the bank, the reason for the change of names, but I am guessing they are acting on strict directives from the CBN or so. So I get it. I just want to clarify if I will be able to change the first and last name only, leaving the middle name as it is. The reason I am asking is that since I will need to provide a valid ID with the correct name, I will have to effect the change on my NIN as well, and it has to work…because I can’t undo the change on the NIN once its done.
The reasons for the change are:
1 – I am married now, that’s why my last name is changing from ‘Okere’ to ‘Tochukwu’
2 – I strongly disagree with my parents decision to name me ‘Mary’ which means ‘Bitterness’. I am grown and I know better and I believe that what a person is called has a great impact on a person’s life either positively or negatively. I am ‘Michelle’ now.
I really hope these are valid reasons for a change of name.
Thank you for your professional advice always. I do appreciate it.
Hello, good day.
So, I have been away for the past two days, and that’s why you did not receive my second reply.
Here’s the thing: you can change your last name or middle name, or perhaps your last name and your first name in your bank verification number and bank account.
However, some banks will require that you have an ID that bears your former name and an ID that bears your new name.
But the truth is that if you go ahead and change your name on your BVN and bank account, what about your other details or documents?
It may affect you, especially if you plan to travel outside the country.
I’m not a big fan of a complete change of name or almost a complete change of name because of the hassle involved.
Have a nice day
good day ma I did my bvn in the cafe by agent and I want to correct my date of birth how can I do
Cafe in Nigeria? Surprised to hear that.
I would like to change my full name on my BVN buh I’ve gone to banks several times. Access bank is telling me it can’t be done after checking my thumbprint and profiles
I took newspaper publication, court affidavit and my NIN along buh nothing was done to it
It’s been over 3yrs now
plsss ma I would be grateful if you van help on this matter cos its really affecting me in my workplace most especially 🙏
To change your full name or complete change of name?
It’s not possible.
Banks do not accept such BVN amendments.
When I was in school, some people came and opened BVN for us, it was when I wanted to open account with GTBank that I discovered there’s mismatched of name on the BVN. Now I don’t know where to do the correction of name. My first name was used as middle name. Please any advice or guide on where to do the correction?
Someone? It must be a bank as long as it is here in Nigeria.
So you should go to the bank and correct the name on your bvn. No newspaper publication is required for name correction.
Hello ma, please can I re-enrol for another BVN as if I never do so before. To avoid the stress of changing BVN NAMES.
No you can’t. You can only enroll for bvn once.
Good evening ma’am
I sincerely appreciate all your good and invaluable efforts in helping us here with your time and resources
God bless you
My own case is very funny though
I bear Ogunsiji Ayobami Damilare when I was still in secondary school and that is what was written on my birth certificate
but when I want to Open my bvn was when they just started bvn afresh so I gave my father’s name Joseph Ayomide damilare
then later I went for change of name at court from Ogunsiji Ayobami Damilare to Oluwasijibomi Ayobami Damilare and that’s is what I used for my NIN
now I cannot use this new name to open bank I had to use the name on my bvn without using any id
so now I want to correct everything now to Oluwasijibomi Ayobami Damilare how can I go about it ma
Hello Mr. Ayobami Damilare, honestly, your question is quite confusing because I don’t seem to understand how you used your father’s details to enroll for a BVN.
One of the rules of bvn enrollment is that the bank account names and bank verification number names must be the same.
So how did you use your father’s name to enroll for BVN while your bank account has your name?
Secondly, to open a bank account and enroll for BVN, you must present an ID. So, what ID did you give to the bank?
Please explain better because you can’t just go to the bank and state that you used your dad’s details for your bvn enrollment.
So, what ID did you use when opening your account and enrolling for BVN?
Hello Missybanker, thanks for this information. Please, in my own case, I want to omit a name. I have two surnames and i used both for my bvn and just one for my NIN, but now I’m having a big issue so i want to pick one of the surnames. Will I be needing the same requirements to do this?
As long as you want to remove a name from your BVN, it will be treated as a change of name, so you will need a newspaper publication, an ID, and a court affidavit.
However, please contact your bank to see if they will accept just a court affidavit and an ID
please how can I make corrections on my bvn details ( name ND year of birth) …I did my bvn enrollment with heritage Bank and now they are closed down
You have to visit the Central Bank in your state to make corrections to your BVN if your bank is closed.
Locate the CBN branch in your state and inform them that you have come for a BVN amendment. They will direct you on what to do.
How long does it takes to update your name on bvn
Two weeks, all thing being equal.