Diaspora Nigerians with existing bank accounts in Nigerian banks have been subjected to rigorous queues and long processes in order to enroll for the compulsory bank verification number (BVN) as directed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Meanwhile the CBN has extended the BVN deadline for Nigerians in Diaspora to January 31, 2016 to enable them complete the registration exercise and the attachment of the BVN to their bank accounts.
The supposed deadline of October 31 for BVN registration led to the unusual rush of customers to their foreign bank branches or the Online Integration Solution (OIS) services registration centers abroad, to get their BVN.
However, although the CBN has announced that the registration deadline for non residential Nigerians has been extended, the accounts of Nigerian bank customers who live abroad are still being restricted.
The CBN, in a circular signed by Dipo Fatokun, Director, Banking and Payments System Department said; “Nigeria residents bank accounts without the BVN would be operated as no customer initiated debit account until the account holder obtains and attaches a BVN to the account.”
“Accounts remain active but there will be no debit but will still continue to receive credit inflows and will neither be deactivated or confisticated,” Ibrahim Muazu, Director, Corporate Communication Department, CBN, told BusinessDay on phone.
Olaronke Shotubo, a GTBank customer who lives in London, told BusinessDay; “I enrolled for my BVN and linked it to my account on Friday, after queuing for nine hours at the GTBank branch at Oxford Circus. I got there at 9am and I was number four hundred and something. The bank announced that they were only registering 600 people a day, so those that came later were unable to register.”
Speaking more on her disappointment with the process, Shotubo said; “Even after all the stress I went through on Friday, I got an email for GTBank this morning, saying that my bank account has been restricted. I have not been able to make any debit transactions on my account. I sent the bank an email but they are yet to reply.”
GTBank London branch said that their Nigerian head office has made available to them, only four registration machines to enroll 600 people a day and on the supposed last day, which was on Saturday, the bank had been instructed to carry out only 250 registrations between 8am and 12pm.
IOS services is an official partner of the Nigerian High Commission, which provides Nigerian visa and passport services. They recently introduced the enrollment of customers for BVN as part of their services, which they deliver at a fee.
Customers of banks who have no branches abroad to enroll for free have been forced to pay a £30 enrollment charge for their BVN at IOS service centers in London and Leicester.
Oluchi Ugwu, a Fidelity Bank customer, while waiting on the queue at the IOS services center on Fleet Street London said; “I had to first make an online appointment before travelling from Birmingham to London just for this registration. Also, only card payment is accepted for the £30 fee. Not only are they making the process difficult, it is costing customers too much money travelling back and forth.”
IOS services have written on their website that they will still be open for registration after the October, 31 deadline. According to it, “the deadline is the time given for the BVN to be linked to the account and not a deadline on the enrollment of customers for BVN.”
Ade Shonubi, managing director/CEO of NIBSS disclosed a week before the October 31 deadline that about 12,000 Diaspora Nigerians have enrolled for the BVN, adding that 12 enrolling centers have been opened for the Diasporas and more was on the way.
“As at now we have about 12 centers that have been opened in Diaspora. We expect in the next few days another five or six in places like Australia, Malaysia and others will be opened”, he told journalist in Lagos at the annual general meeting of NIBSS last week.
Hope Moses Ashike & Jumoke Akiyode
