AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
Start with the death certificate in the country where the person died, because every bank, pension provider and network in both countries will ask for it. Abroad, government bodies can often be told together (in the UK through Tell Us Once), but banks, employers, private pensions and phone companies must be told one by one. In Nigeria, banks and pension administrators generally pay out only to a personal representative holding probate or letters of administration, not simply to the named next of kin.
The document everything else depends on
When someone dies abroad, the family is usually dealing with two sets of institutions at once: the bank, employer, landlord, phone company and pension scheme in the country where they lived, and the bank, pension fund administrator and mobile network back in Nigeria. Almost all of them will want the same first document: a death certificate or official death record from the country where the death happened.
In the UK, GOV.UK's step-by-step guide (public update 2 December 2024) says a death must be registered within 5 days, or 8 days in Scotland, counted from when the family gets confirmation from the medical examiner's office, and those days include weekends and bank holidays. Other countries have their own registration rules, so check the local civil registry. Whatever the country, ask for several certified copies at registration. Institutions in Nigeria may ask for the certificate to be notarised or legalised for use there, and a body being flown home needs its own paperwork (see repatriating a body to Nigeria).
Closing things in the country where they lived
The UK guide lists the order families usually follow: register the death, tell the government, arrange the funeral, check bereavement benefits, value the estate and check for Inheritance Tax, apply for probate, then deal with the estate. Its Tell Us Once service lets you inform the relevant government departments at once. The same page is clear that it does not reach private organisations: employers, private pension providers, banks and utility companies must be told separately.
| Who to tell | What they usually ask for | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Banks and card issuers | Death certificate, your ID, and later the grant of probate or its local equivalent | Freeze cards first; standing orders and direct debits may keep running until the bank is told |
| Employer | Death certificate and next-of-kin details | Final pay, any death-in-service benefit and the workplace pension nomination |
| Workplace or private pension | Death certificate, scheme number, nomination form if one exists | Some schemes pay a lump sum to the person nominated, outside the will |
| Mobile and broadband | Death certificate and account number | Contracts may have exit charges; ask for them to be waived on bereavement |
| Landlord or mortgage lender | Death certificate, tenancy or mortgage reference | Rent or repayments keep falling due until the estate settles them |
| Government benefits and tax | Tell Us Once or each office in turn | Overpaid benefits after death are normally reclaimed from the estate |
This table describes what families commonly meet; each institution sets its own list, so ask for it in writing before posting originals abroad.
Closing things in Nigeria
Bank accounts
Families are often surprised that being next of kin is not enough. A Daily Trust explainer (10 December 2023) quotes a banker saying no Nigerian framework recognises a payable-on-death arrangement, and that a bank releases the money of a deceased customer only after probate (where there is a will) or letters of administration (where there is not). Our Nigerian library sets out the bank claim process step by step and how to apply for letters of administration, so we will not repeat it here. If you do not know which Nigerian banks the person used, start with tracing a late relative's Nigerian accounts.
Pensions (RSA)
Under the Pension Reform Act 2014, as summarised by KPMG (July 2014), the employer's group life insurance is paid to the named beneficiary, while the pension fund administrator pays the balance of the retirement savings account to the personal representative once a will has been admitted to probate or letters of administration have been granted. PenCom's September 2025 guidelines on foreign-currency contributions ask Nigerians abroad who keep an RSA to hold next-of-kin and beneficiary details on it, so ask the PFA what it has on file. If the deceased was already a retiree on monthly pension, tell the PFA promptly: PenCom's July 2026 circular on the annual I am Alive verification means pensions are suspended when a retiree fails verification, and the PFA is the body that will process the death.
Phone lines
A Nigerian number often carries the BVN alerts and one-time codes for the deceased's accounts. The NCC's consumer article on churned lines (30 July 2026) says a line with no revenue-generating activity for twelve months may be churned and the number recycled to someone else. Keep the line alive, or at least reachable, until the banks have been told and their records updated, so codes and alerts do not go to a stranger.
A sensible order of work
- Register the death and order several certified copies of the certificate.
- Freeze the deceased's cards and online banking in both countries by telling each bank of the death.
- Tell government bodies abroad (Tell Us Once in the UK) and then each private organisation in turn.
- Find the will, or confirm there is none, in both countries.
- Apply for the grant abroad and, separately, for probate or letters of administration in the Nigerian state where the assets are.
- Claim pensions and life cover with the nomination or beneficiary forms.
- Only then close accounts and phone lines, keeping copies of every closing letter.
Two grants are often needed because each country's courts deal with property within their own jurisdiction. Where a Nigerian grant already exists, a Guardian Nigeria guide (16 March 2023) notes that it can be resealed in England and Wales for a deceased domiciled in Nigeria, rather than starting again.
Where Pryme fits
Pryme cannot close another bank's accounts or speed up a court grant. Where it helps is for the family member doing the work from abroad: one account that holds NGN, USD, GBP and EUR can receive an estate distribution in the currency it is paid in, and sending money to cover funeral costs in Nigeria shows the rate and the fee before you approve. Keep receipts and statements for every payment made on behalf of the estate; administrators are usually asked to account for them.
Questions people ask
Can the next of kin withdraw a dead relative's money in Nigeria?
Not on that basis alone. Banks generally release a deceased customer's funds only to a personal representative holding probate or letters of administration.
Do I need to register a death abroad in Nigeria too?
Registration happens where the death occurred. Nigerian institutions will then ask for that certificate, sometimes notarised or legalised; ask each one what form it accepts.
Who gets a Nigerian RSA when the holder dies?
The PFA pays the RSA balance to the personal representative on probate or letters of administration; group life cover goes to the named beneficiary.
Should I cancel their Nigerian SIM straight away?
Not until banks have updated their records. An inactive line may be recycled after twelve months and codes could reach a stranger.
Sources
- GOV.UK: What to do after someone dies (public update 2 Dec 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
- Daily Trust: Why next of kin cannot access deceased's inheritance (10 Dec 2023) · accessed Oct 2026
- KPMG Nigeria: Pension Reform Act 2014 summary (Jul 2014) · accessed Oct 2026
- PenCom: Guidelines on Foreign Currency Pension Contributions (Sep 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- NCC: All you need to know about churned lines (30 Jul 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Guardian Nigeria: Cross-border letters of administration and grant of probate (16 Mar 2023) · 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.