NIBSS: BVN database hits 70.34m as banks leverage biometrics to fight fraud

By Chinwendu Obienyi

Nigeria’s Bank Verification Number (BVN) database has crossed another significant threshold, with enrolments reaching 70,347,047 as of September 28, 2026, according to data from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS).

This latest figure highlights the accelerating adoption of biometric identity infrastructure as banks and regulators intensify efforts to curb fraud and shore up confidence in digital financial services.

The momentum behind BVN enrolments comes amid growing recognition of the weaknesses in conventional authentication tools such as passwords and personal identification numbers (PINs).

NIBSS has repeatedly flagged these legacy systems as increasingly vulnerable to theft, phishing, SIM-swap attacks, and social engineering, especially as fraudsters deploy more sophisticated tactics, including generative AI and deepfake imagery.

In response, biometric technologies, anchored on fingerprints, facial features, and liveness checks, have become central to real-time security processes across the banking ecosystem.

By tying each customer’s unique biological traits to their bank records, the BVN system makes it significantly harder for impostors to open duplicate accounts, hijack existing ones, or launder money through identity spoofing.

The BVN scheme, launched by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2014 and administered by NIBSS, has evolved from a voluntary initiative into a mandatory pillar of Nigeria’s financial identity architecture.

Specifically, enrolments stood at 51.9 million in 2021, rose to 63.5 million by 2024, and reached 67.8 million at the end of 2025.

Growth continued through 2026, with the database hitting 68.6 million in March, 69.55 million in July, and 69.97 million by late August before crossing the 70 million mark in September.

While the pace of new registrations has moderated compared with earlier years, partly due to stricter CBN rules introduced in 2026, the system is now in a consolidation phase focused on data quality, fraud monitoring, and tighter access controls.

From May 1, 2026, BVN enrolment was restricted to individuals aged 18 and above, phone-number changes linked to BVN records were capped at once, and a temporary 24-hour fraud watchlist mechanism was introduced for suspicious transactions.

These regulatory adjustments aim to close loopholes that fraudsters have exploited, particularly through SIM-swap schemes and unverified account reactivations.

Banks and payment service providers are now required to perform real-time liveness verification and validate new or reactivated accounts against BVN or National Identity Number (NIN) databases.

Access to the BVN database has also been tightened, with only CBN-licensed financial institutions permitted to query the system under the revised framework. For customers, the practical effect is a banking experience that increasingly relies on “something you are” rather than “something you know.” For regulators and financial institutions, it means a more resilient, interoperable layer of trust underpinning payments, credit, and compliance across the sector.

With over 70 million Nigerians now on the BVN register, the system is approaching meaningful coverage of the adult population, reinforcing its role as a cornerstone of the country’s digital public infrastructure.

As biometric authentication becomes more deeply embedded, from account opening to high-value transfers, the banking system is better positioned to detect anomalies, block fraudulent transactions, and reduce the cost of identity-related losses.

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