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The short answer
You can name a next of kin who lives in the US on a Nigerian bank account by filing the bank's customer information update form with their full name, relationship, US address, phone number in international format and email. Know the limit, though: being next of kin does not by itself entitle that person to the money; a Nigerian court grant (probate or letters of administration) is generally needed before a bank releases a deceased customer's funds.
When you opened your account in Nigeria, you probably wrote your mother or an uncle as next of kin. Twenty years on, your spouse and children are in Houston, and the person on the form may no longer be the right one, or may no longer be alive. Updating it is simple. Understanding what it does, and does not do, matters more.
What next of kin means at a Nigerian bank
The next of kin field tells the bank whom to contact if something happens to you. It is not a beneficiary nomination. A Daily Trust explainer, quoting a tier-one banker, says Nigerian banking has no recognised "payable on death" arrangement; when a customer dies, the estate needs probate (where there is a will) or letters of administration (where there is none) before funds are released, and next of kin are not automatically entitled to inherit (Daily Trust, 10 December 2023). Joint accounts are treated differently and are worth asking your bank about separately.
So the next of kin should be someone who will act: notify the bank, find the documents and work with the family and a lawyer. Living in the US does not stop them doing that, but it helps if they know the accounts exist.
The details banks ask for
- Full name
- As on their passport or other ID, with no nicknames.
- Relationship
- Spouse, child, sibling, parent and so on.
- Address
- Their full US address, including ZIP code.
- Phone
- In international format, for example +1 followed by the 10-digit number, so a Nigerian branch can dial it.
- One they check; it is often the fastest contact across time zones.
- Date of birth
- Some forms ask; for a minor child, consider naming an adult as well.
How to update it from the US
- Get the bank's customer information update form. FirstBank, for example, publishes Customer Information Update (Individual) forms on its download page; other banks offer the form through internet banking or their official email.
- Fill in the new next of kin details and sign as on your mandate.
- Attach a copy of your ID, and any supporting document the bank asks for.
- Submit through the bank's official channel and ask for a reference.
- Check your account profile, or ask the bank, to confirm the change.
If the bank is also refreshing your own records, do both at once; see updating KYC with a green card.
Do not forget your pension account
A Retirement Savings Account has its own next of kin record, held by your pension fund administrator, not your bank. PenCom said that next of kin changes on older RSAs require data recapture through the PFA (ThisDay, 29 January 2024). Ask your PFA how it handles the update for a contributor who lives abroad.
What a US-based next of kin would actually face
If you die, the person in Houston would usually need to tell each bank, provide a death certificate and then work with a Nigerian lawyer on the grant of probate or letters of administration, which come from the probate registry of the relevant state High Court. Documents they sign in the US for use in Nigeria may need notarising and authenticating. Reaching the bank by phone across a time difference of five to seven hours, depending on the state and the season, is harder than it sounds, so leave them the account numbers, branch names and the bank's official email addresses, not just the names of the banks. Our guide to signing Nigerian documents in the US explains the formalities.
If the account goes quiet
An account nobody touches for long enough leaves the bank. FirstBank's dormant account page says accounts inactive for 10 years or more are treated as eligible dormant accounts and transferred to the CBN; reclaiming needs evidence of ownership, valid ID, proof of current residence and an affidavit (FirstBank, checked October 2026). GTBank publishes the same 10-year rule under CBN guidelines issued in July 2024. For a family in the US, that is a reason to keep a list of accounts somewhere your next of kin can find it.
What to check first
- Who is on your current form, and are they still the right person?
- Does the new next of kin know which banks and pension accounts you hold?
- Have you made a will, so that probate rather than letters of administration applies? See inheriting property in Nigeria while living in the US for how Nigerian estates are handled.
- Would a joint account suit part of your money? Ask the bank how it treats joint accounts on death.
Where Pryme fits
Keeping your Nigerian money in fewer places makes it easier for family to find. A Pryme account holds naira and dollars together, and naira deposits are held by a licensed Nigerian microfinance bank regulated by the CBN and insured by the NDIC up to the applicable limit. The Personal Assistant can remind you to review your details each year.
Questions people ask
Can my next of kin live outside Nigeria?
Yes. Give the bank their full US address, phone in international format and email on the customer information update form.
Does my next of kin get my money if I die?
Not automatically. Reporting says Nigerian banks generally need probate or letters of administration before releasing a deceased customer's funds.
How do I change next of kin on my Nigerian bank account?
Complete the bank's customer information update form, attach your ID and submit it through the bank's official channels.
Is my pension next of kin the same as my bank next of kin?
No. Your RSA next of kin is held by your PFA, and PenCom ties changes on older accounts to data recapture.
Sources
- Daily Trust: Explainer, why next of kin cannot access deceased's inheritance, 10 Dec 2023 · accessed Oct 2026
- FirstBank: Download forms · accessed Oct 2026
- FirstBank: Dormant account · accessed Oct 2026
- GTBank: Guidelines for managing dormant accounts and unclaimed balances · accessed Oct 2026
- ThisDay: PenCom, no access to RSA without data recapture, 29 Jan 2024 · 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.