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The short answer
You can ask your Nigerian bank to change the registered phone number to a US one, usually with an update request and valid ID. Your BVN record keeps its own phone number, and NIBSS says BVN updates are done at a bank branch, so the two can differ. Services built on Nigerian SIMs, such as USSD codes and *565*0# BVN retrieval, still need the number registered in Nigeria.
Your Nigerian bank sends codes to a number you may no longer carry. The SIM sits in a drawer in Maryland, and one day a transfer needs an OTP. You have two choices: keep the Nigerian number alive, or move the account to your US number. Each has trade-offs.
Two numbers, two records
- Bank account phone number
- What your bank uses for alerts, OTPs and identity checks on calls. Each bank updates it on request.
- BVN phone number
- The number held on your BVN record by NIBSS. NIBSS says updates of customer information are done physically at bank branches.
Changing one does not change the other. That matters because some services check the BVN number. NIBSS's *565*0# BVN retrieval code only works when dialled from the phone number registered for the BVN, and returns nothing where the number is linked to more than one BVN.
Changing the bank's number to a US one
| Bank | What its own material says |
|---|---|
| Access Bank | Account management request form includes Phone Number Update (new number plus ID); diaspora customers can use a passport plus visa or notarised permit |
| FirstBank | If SMS codes do not arrive when setting up the app, request OTP by email using its Email OTP indemnity form |
Before you switch, ask the bank whether it sends SMS codes to US numbers reliably, and whether it charges for international SMS alerts. Some banks prefer email OTPs or a hardware or app token for customers abroad. The Nigeria-side guides cover specific banks, for example changing your GTBank phone number.
What stops working on a US number
- USSD banking. Bank USSD codes are dialled from the number registered with the bank, on a Nigerian network, so they will not work from a US SIM.
- BVN self-service by USSD, such as *565*0#, which needs the BVN-registered number.
- Some phone-based identity checks that send a code to the BVN number when you open a new account or link a new device.
Keeping the Nigerian number alive instead
If you would rather keep things as they are, you can hold on to the Nigerian number. MTN's Keep My Number service lets prepaid customers keep a number while abroad or inactive for more than 180 days: N3,500 for one year (*365*1#), N5,000 for two years and N7,500 for three. Airtel's version costs N2,000 for one year (*494*1#), N3,500 for two and N5,000 for three, and Airtel says it can be activated while roaming, with airtime. If the subscription lapses, both say the number can be disconnected and recycled, which would put your OTPs in a stranger's hands.
If the Nigerian number has already lapsed
If you have already lost the old number, act quickly. Contact the bank by email or through its diaspora desk, explain that the registered number is no longer yours, and ask it to update the account to your US number and to stop sending codes to the old one. Expect to provide valid ID and a signed request.
- Ask whether alerts and OTPs can go to email in the meantime.
- Check recent transactions for anything you did not make.
- Note that the BVN record will still show the old number until it is updated at a branch, so plan that for your next trip to Nigeria.
If you see a transaction you did not authorise, report it to the bank at once in writing and keep the reference number.
A sensible order of steps
- Decide which number you will keep for the next few years.
- If switching, send the bank's update request with your new US number and valid ID, and confirm SMS delivery to the US number before you rely on it.
- Ask about email OTPs or a token as a backup.
- Plan the BVN phone update for your next visit to a branch in Nigeria, or keep the Nigerian number alive until then with Keep My Number.
- Do not let the old Nigerian number lapse while it is still linked to anything.
For more on the BVN from abroad, see opening a Nigerian bank account as a US resident and NRBVN for Nigerians abroad.
Whichever you choose, write down which number each bank, your BVN and your NIN are linked to. It takes five minutes and saves a great deal of confusion later.
Where Pryme fits
Pryme security uses an authenticator app rather than SMS codes, plus a transaction PIN, so your access does not depend on which country's SIM you carry (security). Accounts can be opened from any country; see how it works.
Questions people ask
Can I use my US number for my Nigerian bank account?
Usually, yes. Send the bank's phone update request with valid ID. Check that it delivers SMS codes to US numbers.
Does changing my bank phone number change my BVN number?
No. NIBSS says BVN information updates are done physically at bank branches.
Why does *565*0# not work on my US number?
NIBSS says it only works from the number registered for your BVN.
How do I keep my Nigerian number while in America?
MTN Keep My Number costs N3,500 for a year and Airtel's N2,000, on their own pages. Renew before it lapses.
Sources
- Access Bank: Account Management Request Form · accessed Oct 2026
- FirstBank: FAQs · accessed Oct 2026
- NIBSS: Bank Verification Number · accessed Oct 2026
- NIBSS: USSD validation services · accessed Oct 2026
- MTN Nigeria: Keep My Number · accessed Oct 2026
- Airtel Nigeria: Keep My Number · 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.