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The short answer
A Nigerian NUBAN is 10 digits: a 9-digit serial plus a check digit calculated, under the CBN's 2020 standard, from the bank's code and the serial using weights 3, 7, 3. Any single wrong digit breaks the check, so a US transfer fails; but swapped same-weight digits or the right number at the wrong bank can pass, so always compare the recipient name.
Every Nigerian bank account number you will be given for a transfer is a 10-digit NUBAN (Nigeria Uniform Bank Account Number). It is not a random serial. The last digit is a check digit calculated from the bank's code and the first nine digits, which is why one wrong digit typed into a US app usually fails rather than landing somewhere else. Understanding how it works helps you spot the errors the check cannot catch.
How the 10 digits are built
The CBN's Revised Standards on NUBAN (circular dated 9 March 2020, full compliance required by 15 March 2021) set the structure. Behind the 10 digits the customer sees, the system works with 16:
- Bank code (6 digits)
- For a deposit money bank, its 3-digit code with three leading zeros. For other financial institutions such as microfinance banks, a 5-digit code with a leading 9.
- Serial number (9 digits)
- The customer's number within that institution.
- Check digit (1 digit)
- Calculated from the 15 digits above.
The customer's account number is the 9-digit serial plus the check digit. The bank code is not part of it, which is why the app also asks you to pick the bank: the same 10 digits can be valid at two different banks.
The check digit calculation
Each of the 15 digits (bank code then serial) is multiplied by a weight in the repeating pattern 3, 7, 3, 3, 7, 3 and so on. The products are added, the total is divided by 10, and the remainder is subtracted from 10. If the answer is 10, the check digit is 0. The circular's own example is a bank code of 000011 with serial 000001457, giving the account number 0000014579.
Why a wrong digit usually fails, and when it does not
Because the weights 3 and 7 share no factor with 10, changing any single digit always changes the check digit. A US app or the Nigerian bank's systems will reject that number, or a name lookup will find nothing.
Two mistakes slip through. First, swapping two neighbouring digits that carry the same weight. In the 10-digit number, the 3rd and 4th digits both carry weight 3, as do the 6th and 7th. In the example above, 1243567895 (3rd and 4th swapped) passes the check because the sum does not change. Second, the right number at the wrong bank: 1234567895 may also be valid at another institution with a different code, belonging to someone else.
That is why the recipient's name matters. Some providers display the account holder's name returned by the Nigerian bank before you confirm. If the name shown is not the person you meant, stop. Name mismatches are covered in transfer failed because of a name mismatch.
What happens if the money goes to the wrong account
Federal remittance rules give you 180 days from the disclosed availability date to report an error, and the provider generally has 90 days to investigate. But 12 CFR 1005.33 has an exception for an incorrect account number the sender supplied: the provider may not have to refund if it warned you, tried to verify the number where it could, and made reasonable efforts to recover the money. In practice, a correctly formed number at the wrong person is the hardest case to undo. Our guide to sending money to the wrong Nigerian account sets out the recovery steps.
Microfinance banks and other institutions
The same 10-digit format applies to microfinance banks, payment service banks and other non-bank institutions. The difference sits in the hidden bank code: under the 2020 standard these institutions use a 5-digit code with a leading 9, against three zeros and a 3-digit code for commercial banks. The circular's second example uses the code 950547 with serial 000021457, which gives 0000214579. To you, as the sender, nothing changes, but it is another reason the bank you select in the app must be exactly right.
Some families still use numbers written down years ago, for accounts that may since have been closed or moved after a merger. If a number you have used for years suddenly fails, ask the recipient to confirm it from their current app rather than assuming the provider is at fault.
Steps before you press send
- Ask the recipient to copy the number from their banking app or a statement, not to type it from memory.
- Confirm the exact bank name. Microfinance banks and payment service banks often have similar names.
- Check the name the app displays against the recipient's BVN name.
- For a first transfer to a new account, send a small amount and wait for the recipient to confirm.
- Save a screenshot of the confirmation and your receipt.
For the arithmetic in full, with more examples, see NUBAN explained: the 10-digit account number and its check digit.
Where Pryme fits
When you send to a Nigerian account with Send, the app shows the rate and the fee before you approve, and nothing moves until you do. Naira you hold in Pryme sits with a licensed Nigerian microfinance bank, regulated by the CBN and insured by the NDIC up to the applicable limit. If you send often, a multicurrency account lets you hold dollars and choose when to convert with Swap.
Questions people ask
Are all Nigerian account numbers 10 digits?
Yes. Under the CBN's NUBAN standard every customer account number is 10 digits, made of a 9-digit serial and a check digit.
Why did my US app say the Nigerian account number is invalid?
The most likely reason is a typing error: a single wrong digit always breaks the NUBAN check digit. It can also mean the wrong bank was selected, since the check uses the bank's code.
Can a wrong account number still go through?
Yes, in two cases: two same-weight neighbouring digits swapped, or a correct number selected at the wrong bank. Always compare the name the app shows.
Will I get my money back if I typed the wrong account?
Not always. Federal rules let a provider avoid a refund for an account number you supplied if it warned you and tried to recover the funds. Report it within 180 days and ask the provider to attempt recovery.
Sources
- CBN Revised Standards on NUBAN, circular of 9 Mar 2020 (text via RegAlert) · accessed Oct 2026
- eCFR 12 CFR 1005.33, Procedures for resolving errors · accessed Oct 2026
- CFPB: What is a remittance transfer and what are my rights (reviewed 3 Oct 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
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