Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search
Breaking News:

BVN and banking transactions

By Editorial board
25 November 2015   |   3:46 am
COMING at a time when Nigerians yearn for responsibility, economic revival and the general wellbeing of the country, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN’s) enforcement of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) policy could not have been more desirable.
BVN

BVN

COMING at a time when Nigerians yearn for responsibility, economic revival and the general wellbeing of the country, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN’s) enforcement of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) policy could not have been more desirable.

It may have raised much dust, but certainly, the nation needs a dose of openness, accountability and discipline after years of pillaging of the treasury and recklessness in handling finances. A very sound management of the identities of bank customers is, therefore, a good beginning, hence the initiative is laudable.

More than five million customers’ accounts were initially blocked for failure to either register or link up registrations with their banks. As the sanctions took effect, affected customers were barred from withdrawing or transferring funds through automated teller machines (ATMs), internet banking platforms and over-the-counter deals in banking halls. That confusion and the inconveniences therefrom reverberated across the land but this was unnecessary, given the length of time allowed through extensions for the registration.

It is gratifying that the CBN has declared the exercise a success and there would be no going back on prescribed sanctions for non-compliance. Indeed, in any success rating of Nigerian government policies, the BVN exercise takes after the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC’s) implementation of the seat belt use by motorists; it recorded a very high, almost total, compliance rate.

Ordinarily, citizens ought not to be threatened with sanctions over simple processes, but attitudes die hard. Hence, the last-minute stampede and inconveniences before compliance. Banks have, indeed, invested too heavily in the project for anyone to countenance non-compliance or a sabotage of the exercise.

Meanwhile, the policy has to be sustained for its impact on the financial system to be fully felt. In sustaining and properly managing the policy, however, there would be issues that might need adjustment to remove such areas as might impede its continued smooth implementation.

This includes millions of accounts especially in rural areas, not yet captured in the exercise. The CBN and the Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) should not shy away from consolidating on their working arrangement to facilitate a smooth conclusion of the process till every customer is captured. The apex bank’s directive on uninterrupted enrolment of customers, well after the October 31 deadline, for instance, is a pointer to an accommodation of all interests.

The benefit of the exercise is believed to include but not limited to capturing many unexplained or suspicious deposits by the unique identification mode of BVN. Also, the scheme is aimed at capturing biometrics as opposed to the fictitious house addresses or fake identities of customers which were hitherto the order of the day, and encouraged fraud in banking activities.

The project should also create a sense of decorum and honesty in the credit system of the financial sector, as every activity or transaction will now have an identity behind it, putting a face to the customer. Perhaps, more fundamental is the explanation that it would assist the banks to sort out chronic fleet-footed and serial debtors that fleece banks for additional facilities despite unfulfilled commitments elsewhere, often bringing ill-health to the industry.

However, in spite of the acclaimed gains, the authorities should not be unmindful of the complaints of citizens over multiple biometric registration processes in the country, producing multiple databases all of which are either not synchronised or even not put to good use, at all. There should be a conscious effort to integrate all biometrics collected by agencies including FRSC (driver’s licence); INEC (for election purposes); National Identity Management Commission, NIMC (national identity card) and now, the banks among others, and put all to the good management of Nigeria’s affairs. In fact, the attempt by police authorities to introduce another biometric capturing exercise for its own use had to be stopped following public outcry, and appropriately so. All forms of disorderliness in uncoordinated biometric collection and storage should be resolved in favour of a single, useful database.

The complaints that the CBN has taken too central a role in the registration process is understandable, especially against the background of supposed bank and customer independent relationship. But Nigeria needs such a clearing process as the BVN given the plethora of problems assailing the financial sector. It must, however, be organised, made to work as intended, and follow the guidance and inspiration drawn from similar programmes elsewhere.

Technological advancement has also been a plus in the implementation of the BVN policy and the hope is that Nigeria’s banking sector would be the better for it.

5 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    The implementation of the BVN policy is a good one according to website https://www.contactlesspaymentcards.com/bank-verification-number.php However, it is unfair that people in Diaspora have to pay when people in
    Nigeria gets it free. Would it be possible that when renewal time comes in ten years time, people in Diaspora will get it free?

  • Author’s gravatar

    BVN is a direct result of failure of NIMC to rollout national Identity card for Nigerians. In advanced world, only the police department manages bio-data for all government agencies such as immigration, border services, etc. No bank in the west will collect your bio-data. All agencies key into the national identity card like SIN or social security number. Only 7 million Nigerians have national identity card after Jonathan government spent N30 billion on national identity card project. As long as NIMC continues to fail Nigerians, the issue of national identity card will remain a mirage. We must fix this national identity project to make Nigeria work. We are just going round the problem.

    • Author’s gravatar

      How did you know up to seven million Nigerians have National ID card? Where is your fact? I do not have and many people around me do not have all and we are in Lagos State. Some of my friends have gone to their office at Alausa to register after filling the online forms yet they have not got theirs. If all Nigerians can be made to have verifiable National ID cards, then the banks can also request for information on the cards for their own use. I would say the NIMC has failed Nigerians in this regard.

  • Author’s gravatar

    BVN issue should not have deadlines. It should be a continuous exercise. I’m in US. The BVN locations here do not favor me and I ‘m not going to Nigeria soonest. So, what happens when I eventually go to Nigeria and try to withdraw or make deposits to my account.

  • Author’s gravatar

    I am still confused why BVN should have deadline? I believe BVN should be an ongoing process and should be managed by the immigration services not the Bank or CBN
    The closest BVN location to where I reside in the US is 10 hrs drive which I wont do or spend $400 on flight and $120 on hotel that does not include renting a car or missing work because most people in Diaspora are on a pay as you go wage and also the time one will spend at the location that one is ridiculous. They need to do something this. there should be a mobile BVN traveling across each state in US to make sure people who want to obey their new law can do it with ease.
    I will like to know why Diaspora pay and the people in Nigeria do not please give me the logic behind that I thought we believed in one Nigeria