NUBAN Validator
Check a ten-digit Nigerian account number against the Central Bank’s check-digit rule, and see which banks it can validly belong to.
Every calculation happens in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server.
Why the bank matters here
Most account checksums are self-contained: an IBAN or a CLABE carries everything needed to verify itself. A NUBAN does not. The Central Bank’s formula runs over the bank’s three-digit code and the nine-digit serial together, so the same ten digits are valid at one bank and invalid at the next.
That is why this tool answers with a list. Rather than assume a bank and give you a confident wrong answer, it tests the number against every institution code it holds and tells you which ones fit. A number matching only one bank is a strong signal; matching several is normal and simply means the arithmetic works for each.
CBN institution codes
These are the deposit money banks this tool tests against, identified by the three-digit code that begins their sort code. Nigeria also has hundreds of microfinance banks and several fintechs issuing accounts through partner institutions, and those use longer codes not covered here. Where a number fits more than one bank, only your recipient can say which is theirs.
What sending to Nigeria costs
Nigeria is one of the largest remittance markets in Africa, and one where the exchange rate matters more than the fee. Several providers advertise no transfer fee and recover it entirely in the rate, which on a few hundred dollars can be the difference between a few dollars of cost and twenty.
Compare providers on this route in our guide to sending money to Nigeria, or price a transfer with the Taptap Send and Sendwave calculators, both of which run keenly on African corridors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a NUBAN?
The Nigeria Uniform Bank Account Number: a ten-digit account number used by every deposit-taking bank in the country. The Central Bank of Nigeria mandated it in 2010 to replace the incompatible numbering each bank had used before, so that transfers could clear reliably between institutions.
Why does this tool list several banks?
Because a NUBAN alone is not enough to check. The check digit is calculated from the bank code and the serial together, so the same ten digits can be valid at one bank and invalid at another. Without knowing the institution, the honest answer is a list of the banks it works for rather than a single yes.
Does a valid NUBAN mean the account exists?
No. It means the digits are internally consistent for at least one bank. Nigerian transfer apps resolve the account holder’s name before you confirm a payment, and that name check is the real safeguard. Always read it back before approving.
Why do Nigerian transfers ask for the name to appear first?
Because name resolution is built into NIBSS, the national switch. When you enter an account number and bank, the recipient’s registered name is returned before the transfer goes through. If the name that appears is not who you expect, stop: the number is wrong or the account is not theirs.
Can I receive an international transfer straight to a NUBAN?
Often yes through a remittance provider, which settles locally in naira. A traditional bank wire is different: it lands via the bank’s SWIFT code and correspondent, and Nigerian banks may pay out in dollars or convert at their own rate. The two routes can differ substantially in what arrives.
Is a NUBAN the same as a BVN?
No, and they should never be interchanged. A NUBAN identifies one account. A BVN, the Bank Verification Number, is an eleven-digit biometric identity tied to a person across every bank they use. You give a NUBAN to be paid; a BVN is identity data and should not be shared casually.
A NUBAN carries no bank code, so this checks the number against each bank we hold rather than confirming one.