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The short answer
You speak to the Pryme Personal Assistant inside the Pryme app, using the name you gave it (Eva by default). Speak at a normal pace, give one task at a time, and say amounts and names clearly. It prepares what you ask for and waits for your approval before anything moves.
Talking to an assistant is a skill, but a small one
Most Nigerians already speak to their phones: voice notes on WhatsApp, voice search, dictating messages. Talking to a money assistant is similar, with one difference. Here, the details you say become a prepared payment, a reminder or a savings move, so clarity matters more than speed. A few habits make the difference between an assistant that saves you time and one you keep correcting.
The good news is that you do not need special phrases or commands. You speak to the assistant using the name you chose when you set it up, Eva unless you picked another, and you talk in ordinary sentences. What helps is structure: knowing which details the assistant needs, saying them plainly, and checking what comes back before you approve it.
Where and when to speak
Choose your moment. You do not need silence, but you do need to hear the assistant's reply and to be comfortable saying amounts and names out loud.
| Setting | Good for | Better to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| At home, alone | Any task, including transfers and savings | Nothing in particular |
| In the office | Reminders, checking what is due | Saying recipients and large amounts where colleagues can hear |
| In traffic or on a bus | Quick reminders | Detailed transfers; noise causes mishearing, and others can listen |
| In a market or crowded hall | Very little | Anything involving amounts, names or account details |
The Nigerian Communications Commission has also warned that free public WiFi and public phone-charging ports, such as those at airports, can make it easier for criminals to compromise phones. If you speak to your assistant on the move, use your own mobile data and your own charger. Our guide to securing your phone has more.
How to phrase a request
The assistant works best with requests that contain the four basics: what, how much, who or which bill, and when.
- Start with the action. "Prepare a transfer", "Remind me", "Move to savings", "Pay my electricity".
- Say the amount in full. "Twenty-five thousand naira" is clearer than "twenty-five".
- Name the person or bill the way you always do. If your sister is "Ada" in your contacts, call her Ada every time.
- Say when. "Now", "on Friday", "on the 25th".
For example (amounts are examples): "Eva, prepare a transfer of fifteen thousand naira to Ada for Friday." That one sentence has everything the assistant needs. More on this in how to give a money assistant clear instructions.
Saying numbers clearly
Some amounts sound alike, especially over noise. "Fifteen thousand" and "fifty thousand" are the classic pair. When in doubt, add a check: "fifteen thousand, one-five". Always read the amount on screen before you approve, whatever you said.
The same goes for dates. "The second" could mean the 2nd of this month or the second Friday. Say "Friday the 2nd" or "2 November" to remove the doubt. For repeating tasks, say the pattern out loud: "every month on the 25th" or "every second Friday".
Mixing languages
Many of us switch between English, Pidgin and our own language mid-sentence. If you notice the assistant mishearing a word, try the same request in plain English and compare. Keep names and amounts especially simple.
Pausing and correcting
If you start a request and change your mind halfway, it is usually cleaner to stop and start again than to correct yourself mid-sentence. "Prepare twenty thousand, no, thirty thousand to Ada" leaves room for confusion. Let the assistant prepare the first version, decline it, and say the new request in one clean sentence. Declining costs nothing.
What you should never say
Some things should never be spoken to any assistant, any caller or anyone standing near you.
- Your transaction PIN or app password.
- One-time codes sent to your phone.
- Your full card number or card security code.
- Your BVN, unless you are completing an official process you started yourself.
If you are unsure what is safe to share, our explainer is it safe to share your BVN? sets out who can legitimately ask for it.
Worked example: getting it right the second time
Example only. Emeka, a mechanic in Aba, asks between jobs: "Send Chinedu fifteen." The assistant prepares a draft, but Emeka sees it has picked a different Chinedu from his contacts, and the amount needs confirming. He declines and tries again at lunch, somewhere quieter: "Prepare a transfer of fifteen thousand naira to Chinedu Okeke, my apprentice, for today." This time the name and amount are right. He checks the account name on screen and approves.
Nothing went wrong in the first attempt because nothing moved. The approval step is your safety net, and declining is always free.
Emeka now follows a simple habit: quick reminders whenever he likes, but transfers only when he can hear clearly and read the screen properly. It adds a few hours of delay at most, and it means he never approves something in a rush. Over time he has also learned which of his contacts need a surname, and he uses it every time.
Where Pryme fits
Every Pryme Personal Account customer can set up a Personal Assistant Agent, choose its gender, voice and name, and speak to it to manage bills, saving, reminders and sending. It prepares and you approve. Open a Personal Account to try it.
Questions people ask
How do I talk to the Pryme assistant?
Open the Pryme app and speak to your Personal Assistant using the name you gave it. Give one clear task at a time, with the amount, the person or bill, and when.
What if the assistant mishears me?
Check what it has prepared. If anything is wrong, decline it and ask again more clearly, ideally somewhere quieter.
Should I tell the assistant my PIN?
No. Never say your PIN, password or one-time codes aloud to any assistant or caller.
Can I use the Pryme assistant on public WiFi?
It is safer to use your own mobile data. The NCC has warned that free WiFi and public charging ports can make phones easier to hack.
Sources
- Nigerian Communications Commission: Measures to Protect Consumers against Financial Frauds · accessed Oct 2026
- Central Bank of Nigeria: Complaints Management · 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.