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The short answer
In recent Nigerian bank mergers, customers kept their account numbers, cards and existing app logins, and the merged bank honoured loans on their agreed terms. What does change is the brand, over time, and your NDIC cover: once two banks become one, balances you hold in both are added together and insured as one bank.
What usually stays the same
When two banks combine, the deposits, loans and customer contracts of the bank being absorbed move to the surviving bank. Customers do not have to open a new account. The clearest recent statement is Union Bank's notice to Titan Trust Bank customers ahead of their combination: from 1 September 2025 Titan branches became Union Bank branches, account numbers stayed the same, no new account was needed, and account officers did not change.
The same notice said cards and cheque books remained valid, Titan cards could be used at Union Bank ATMs (and the other way round) with no extra charge, and customers could keep using UnionMobile, UnionOnline or the Titan digital platform with their existing logins. Loans continued on the terms already agreed.
Earlier, Access Bank's merger FAQs for Diamond Bank customers made similar points: account numbers and relationship managers would not change, rebranding would be phased, and customers could keep using existing branches and digital channels. The new Access Bank was publicly launched on 1 April 2019.
| Item | What banks told customers |
|---|---|
| Account number | Unchanged (Union/Titan 2025; Access/Diamond 2019) |
| Cards and cheque books | Remained valid until replaced (Union/Titan) |
| App and online banking | Existing logins kept during integration (Union/Titan) |
| Loans | Continue on agreed terms (Union/Titan) |
| Fees | Not changed immediately; advance notice promised (Union/Titan) |
What changes, and when
The name on your app, card and statement changes, usually in stages. Fees and charges may be aligned to the surviving bank's tariff later; Union Bank said fees would not change immediately and that customers would get notice first. Integration can also cause short service problems. After the ProvidusUnity merger was finalised in 2026, Ripples Nigeria reported that existing accounts at both banks remained active while systems and branding were being unified, and Innovation Village later reported customer complaints about pending transfers, app log-in failures and missing alerts.
Your NDIC cover after a merger
The NDIC insures each bank separately, and treats a bank's head office and all its branches as one institution, so balances across branches are combined. NDIC cover for deposit money banks is ₦5,000,000 per depositor (NDIC FAQ, accessed Oct 2026). Before a merger, money in two different banks is covered up to the limit at each. After the merger, the two banks are one institution, so the reasonable reading of the NDIC rule is that your balances are added together and covered up to one limit. Joint accounts with a valid mandate are insured separately from each owner's individual accounts.
Example: you hold ₦3,500,000 at Bank A and ₦2,500,000 at Bank B. Before they merge, each is within the ₦5m limit, so all ₦6,000,000 is within cover. After the merger the combined ₦6,000,000 sits in one bank, and ₦1,000,000 is above the per-depositor limit. A merger is not a failure and cover only matters if a bank is closed, but large savers may want to spread money. See how the NDIC limit works.
What to check first
- Read the merger notice on the bank's own website and save it.
- Confirm whether your account number, card and app login are changing, and by what date.
- Update standing orders, salary and direct debits only if the bank asks you to.
- Add your balances across both banks to check them against the NDIC limit.
- Watch your statements for new charges once the tariff is aligned; complain through the bank first, then the CBN (how to complain).
Where Pryme fits
If a merger makes you rethink where your money sits, a Pryme account holds naira with Solid Allianze Microfinance Bank, licensed by the CBN and insured by the NDIC up to the applicable limit (₦2,000,000 per depositor for microfinance banks per the NDIC FAQ). Pryme Financial is a technology company, not a bank. You can send and receive transfers to any Nigerian bank, so you can keep a merged bank account alongside it. Read what recapitalisation means for depositors for the background to the current wave of deals.
Questions people ask
Will my account number change if my bank merges?
In the Union Bank/Titan Trust and Access/Diamond mergers, the banks said account numbers would not change. Check your own bank's notice.
Do I need to open a new account after a bank merger?
No new account was required in the recent mergers; customers were moved across automatically.
Is my money safe when banks merge?
A merger moves deposits to the surviving bank; it is not a closure. NDIC cover continues, but balances in the two banks are combined once they become one institution.
Will my old ATM card still work after the merger?
Union Bank said Titan cards remained valid and worked at Union Bank ATMs without extra charge until replaced.
Sources
- Union Bank: notice to Titan Trust Bank customers · accessed Oct 2026
- Access Bank: Merger FAQs · accessed Oct 2026
- NDIC: Frequently asked questions · accessed Oct 2026
- Ripples Nigeria: ProvidusUnity Bank commences operation after merger (29 Jun 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Innovation Village: ProvidusUnity Bank customers report service issues (3 Sep 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.