The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has clarified that Bank Verification Number (BVN) enrollment remains completely free for Nigerians registering within the country.
This announcement comes amid public confusion over charges by the Nigerian Reserve BVN (NRBVN) platform.
CBN spokesperson Hakama Ali confirmed: “No Nigerian should pay for basic BVN registration or updates at authorized centers.” The bank issued the statement after reports surfaced of third-party services charging fees for BVN-related services.
The clarification follows numerous complaints from citizens encountering unexpected charges during what should be free BVN processes. Investigations revealed some commercial banks had directed customers to NRBVN’s paid portal instead of free CBN channels.
The CBN has instructed all financial institutions to properly guide customers to free enrollment options.
For Nigerians abroad, the CBN maintains its partnership with PayAttitude Global for diaspora enrollments, which carries standard charges due to international processing costs.
The apex bank urges citizens to only use approved locations for BVN services and report any illegal charges through official CBN complaint channels. This intervention aims to protect Nigerians from exploitation while maintaining the integrity of the national identity system.
