CBN orders banks to publish dormant account details, unclaimed funds

The Central Bank of Nigeria has directed all banks and financial institutions to publicly disclose details of dormant accounts, unclaimed balances, and other financial assets on their official websites.

A dormant account refers to a bank account that has remained inactive for at least one year.

The directive was outlined in a circular issued on Monday and signed by Michael Akuka on behalf of the Director of CBN’s Financial Policy and Regulation Department.

The circular, titled “Guidelines on Management of Dormant Accounts, Unclaimed Balances, and Other Financial Assets in Banks and Other Financial Institutions in Nigeria”, specifies that financial institutions must display key details such as the names of individuals authorised to operate the accounts, the type of account, and the branch where it is domiciled.

This information must be made available on their official websites.
For other financial institutions that do not have dedicated websites, the CBN has mandated that the information be published on the website of their respective industry associations.

The circular states, “In furtherance thereof, and in response to enquiries from stakeholders regarding the possible breach of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDPA), banks and other financial institutions are required to note the following.

“1. Section 25 (b) of the NDPA permits justifiable deviations from the general principles of the Act. Also, Section 72.

“ (ii) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act mandates the Central Bank of Nigeria to issue Guidelines on the administration of unclaimed funds in banks and other financial institutions.

“2. Information to be published on banks’ websites, as well as the association’s website (where applicable), shall include the name of the account, the type of account, the name of the bank, and the branch where the account is domiciled ONLY.

“Information to be published annually in at least two national daily newspapers or the premises of State and Unit microfinance banks shall also convey the details as listed in (2) above.”

PUNCH Online reports that this directive follows an earlier order issued by CBN on July 19, 2024, requiring banks and financial institutions to transfer unclaimed balances and dormant account funds to the apex bank’s designated accounts.