Nigerians in Diaspora lament neglect

Nigerians living in the Diaspora have voiced frustration over the lack of assistance from the Central Bank of Nigeria and banks in facilitating the linkage of their bank accounts with their National Identification Numbers.

The President of the World United Consumer Organisation, Clement Osuya, who raised the alarm in an interview on Friday, said the perceived neglect had become a source of discontent, as individuals feel unsupported in the crucial process of aligning their banking details with the mandatory NIN requirement.

He bemoaned the apex bank for not offering any viable means for Nigerians living abroad to link and obtain their NIN.

Recall that the CBN mandated all commercial banks in the country last year to restrict tier-1 accounts without a proper Biometric Verification Number and NIN link by March 1, 2024.

According to Osuya, around 70 million bank accounts are at risk of being frozen by their respective banks.

The CBN also directed that a ‘Post No Debit’ restriction be placed on all bank accounts without the BVN and NIN from March 1, 2024.

‘Post No Debit’ is a term used to describe a restriction imposed by banks on specific accounts, preventing customers from making withdrawals, transfers, or any other debits from such accounts.

This measure effectively freezes the funds in the account, rendering them inaccessible for the duration of the restriction.

Banks have hesitated to block the affected accounts and preferred to reach affected customers through short service messages and e-mails.

Osuya noted that the directive placed a burden on Nigerians in the diaspora as it mandated them to visit enrollment centres for physical biometric capture.

He revealed that those in the diaspora could not comply with the NIN registration deadline owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting travel restrictions.

“This requirement significantly burdens Nigerians, especially those residing abroad, as it mandates them to visit enrollment centres for biometric capture at NIN centres physically. As such, it presents substantial logistical and financial challenges for diasporan Nigerians.

“Compliance with the NIN registration deadline has been made exceedingly difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting travel restrictions, further exacerbating the struggles of diasporan Nigerians.

“It is imperative to highlight that over 70 million accounts are at risk of being blocked if they are not linked with the NIN. Yet, there are no explicit provisions for remote linkage or alternative processes for Nigerians in the Diaspora,” he stated.

He, therefore, demanded an immediate review of the directive and called upon the CBN to introduce robust and accessible means for Nigerians outside the country who do not have NINs to link to their accounts.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers did not fulfil its promise to file a case in court against the Nigerian Communications Commission to extend the NIN linkage deadline.

The President of the association, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, gave an update in an interview on Friday and said the association rescinded its decision because many persons had filed a suit and did not want to abuse the court process.

“A lot of persons, including lawyers, filed a case on that matter that should be cancelled or extended, and we thought it best to stay down since other persons have filed and we are looking at the same result, which may lead to an abuse of the court process.

“We will still be appealing to NCC to please understand that it affects our businesses and a whole lot is going on in the country. They should not add to the current hardship. We are also extending our appeal to the National Assembly to please understand the plight of Nigerians at this moment and just extend the deadline date,” he stated.