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The short answer
To change the phone number on a First Bank account, you complete the bank's Customer Information Update (Individual) form, which FirstBank publishes on its download forms page, and submit it with valid ID, usually at a branch. Your *894# USSD service is tied to the number enrolled on First Bank's SMS alert platform, so after the change you should expect to set up *894# again from the new line. The number on your BVN record is a separate record and does not change automatically.
Your phone number does more work at a Nigerian bank than most people realise. It receives debit and credit alerts, one-time passwords for the app and online banking, and at First Bank it is the key to the *894# USSD service. Losing a SIM, switching networks or simply abandoning an old line can leave you locked out of your own account. This guide sets out how First Bank handles a change of number, which parts of your banking it touches, and the separate question of your BVN record.
Why the number on your account matters
First Bank's FAQs describe *894# as available to individual account holders whose phone numbers are enrolled on the bank's SMS alert platform. The same answer notes that joint, corporate and multiple-signatory accounts are not eligible. In practice that means the number First Bank holds for you is doing three jobs at once:
- It receives transaction alerts, which are often your first warning of fraud.
- It is the line from which *894# works, and the line that receives codes when you reset access.
- It is the contact the bank uses to reach you about a dispute, a card or a restriction.
If the old number is in someone else's hands, for example a recycled SIM, that person could receive your alerts. That is a reason to change the number promptly rather than when it becomes inconvenient.
The route First Bank publishes: the information update form
FirstBank's download forms page lists a Customer Information Update (Individual) form, in two versions (one uploaded in 2021 and an individual customer information update form uploaded in 2024). This is the document used to change personal details held on your account, including contact details. A corporate version exists for business accounts.
Steps
- Download the current Customer Information Update (Individual) form from FirstBank's download forms page, or ask for it at a branch.
- Fill in your account number, your name exactly as on the account, the old number and the new number.
- Sign it with the signature the bank holds for you; a mismatched signature is a common reason for a request to be returned.
- Take it to a First Bank branch with a valid means of identification. Ask the officer whether your branch needs the original ID only or a photocopy as well.
- Ask for an acknowledgement, such as a stamped copy or a reference, and the date you can expect the change to reflect.
- Once the change is confirmed, test it: wait for an alert on the new line, then set up *894# again.
What happens to *894# after the change
Because *894# is linked to the enrolled phone number, a new number generally means a new USSD registration. First Bank's FAQs give the activation route as dialling *894*0# and creating a five-digit PIN. Do this from the new line once the bank has confirmed the update. If the code keeps failing, our guide to *894# not working on First Bank walks through the common causes, and resetting your *894# PIN covers the PIN itself.
Your BVN number is a separate record
This is the point that catches people out. The phone number on your First Bank account and the phone number on your Bank Verification Number record are kept in different places. Updating your account profile does not rewrite your BVN record. FirstBank publishes a separate BVN Demographic Update Form for changes to BVN details.
Why does it matter? Some services, including other banks and fintech apps, send verification codes to the number on your BVN record when you open an account or reset access. If that number is dead, those checks fail even though your First Bank alerts arrive normally.
Be careful with BVN changes. An April 2026 exposure draft of the CBN's revised Guide to Charges, as reported by TechCabal, proposed limiting a BVN phone number change to once in a customer's lifetime. That was a draft for comment, and its effective date had not been announced in the coverage we read, but it is a reason to change your BVN number only to a line you intend to keep.
- Account phone number
- Used by First Bank for alerts, *894# and contact. Changed with the Customer Information Update form.
- BVN phone number
- Held on your BVN record. Changed with the BVN Demographic Update form; other institutions may rely on it.
- *894# registration
- Tied to the enrolled account number; set up again with *894*0# after a change.
If you have lost the old SIM
A lost or stolen phone is a security problem before it is a paperwork problem. Do these in order:
- Call FirstContact and ask the bank to block USSD and card access. TechCabal's May 2026 list gives the FirstContact line as 0700-347-782-668-228, with WhatsApp on 08124444000; see our First Bank customer care guide for the full set.
- Ask your network operator to block the SIM and, if you want to keep the same number, to retrieve it.
- Then do the information update at a branch, with ID.
If you get the same number back on a new SIM, you may not need a profile change at all, but you will usually need to set up *894# again on the new SIM.
What to check first
- Is the new number registered in your own name with your network? A number registered to someone else can complicate verification.
- Does your branch want the update form, a letter, or both?
- Have you also updated the number on your BVN record, if other banks rely on it?
- Are your app and online banking still receiving codes after the change?
Where Pryme fits
If you are tightening your phone security generally, Pryme accounts use an authenticator app rather than SMS codes for sign-in, plus a transaction PIN, so a swapped SIM alone does not give someone your codes. Our security page explains how that works. It does not replace updating your First Bank details.
Questions people ask
Can I change my First Bank phone number online?
FirstBank's published route is the Customer Information Update (Individual) form, submitted with ID, usually at a branch. If the FirstMobile app shows a number-change option when you sign in, follow the app; otherwise ask FirstContact before visiting.
Will changing my number affect my First Bank USSD?
Yes, usually. *894# works from the number enrolled on First Bank's SMS alert platform, so after the change set it up again from the new line with *894*0# and a new five-digit PIN.
Does changing my bank phone number change my BVN number?
No. The BVN record is separate. FirstBank publishes a BVN Demographic Update Form for BVN changes.
How much does First Bank charge to change a phone number?
The FirstBank pages we read do not state a charge. Ask at the branch or on FirstContact before you submit the form.
Sources
- FirstBank: Download forms · accessed Oct 2026
- FirstBank: Frequently asked questions · accessed Oct 2026
- TechCabal: Customer care numbers for banks and fintechs in Nigeria (May 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- TechCabal: CBN exposure draft of the 2026 Guide to Charges (Apr 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.