Nigeria recorded a boost in its banking identity system in 2025 as 4.3 million new Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) were registered across the country. A BVN is a unique biometric identification number issued to bank customers to link all their accounts across Nigerian banks and protect against unauthorised access. Latest data released by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) showed that total BVN enrolments rose to 67.8 million by December 2025, up from 63.5 million recorded in 2024. The increase shows the growing adoption of biometric identification in the banking sector, driven largely by regulatory enforcement and policy measures introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Key among the measures was the CBN’s directive to freeze bank accounts without BVN and National Identification Number (NIN) from April 2024, a move that compelled many customers to regularise their banking records to retain access to their accounts. Also contributing to the surge was the introduction and expansion of the Non-Resident Bank Verification Number (NRBVN) initiative, which allows Nigerians in the diaspora to enrol for BVNs remotely, eliminating the need for physical presence in the country.

Sun