First Bank of Nigeria was established in 1894, under the name Bank of British West Africa (BBWA) by Sir Alfred Jones, from Liverpool England. The bank is the premier bank in Nigeria and West Africa, just as its name implies. Its head office was initially in Liverpool, at this time it started operating in Lagos on a modest scale.
First Bank BVN Code: Check your BVN in seconds
First Bank is Nigeria leading financial service provider. It got its first competition after 18 years of establishment in 1912, the “Bank of Nigeria” (formerly known as Anglo Africa Bank). Anglo Africa Bank was established in 1899 by the Royal Niger Company. The bank changed its name in 1957 to Bank of West Africa. Later on, it merged with Standard Bank UK in 1966 and had its name changed again this time to incorporate the Standard Bank name (Standard Bank of West Africa Limited). Again in 1969, it was locally incorporated as the Standard Bank of Nigeria Limited.
It acquired the name First Bank of Nigeria Limited in 1979 and in 1991 it became First Bank of Nigeria Plc. The year 2012 brought about a return name a First Bank of Nigeria Limited due to restructuring that resulted in First Bank of Nigeria Holdings PLC (FBN HOLDING).
First Bank has acquired a number of other banks all over Africa building its sub-Saharan Africa presence. First Bank is not only a premier bank in Nigeria, it is also the first commercial bank in Nigeria. You can say First Bank has all the experience that is required for the banking industry.
What are BVN Codes?
Bank Verification Number (BVN) is a biometric system created by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for customer identification purpose. It is done in coalition with Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) to reduce illegal banking relations in Nigeria. BVN identifies every customer uniquely across Nigeria, and it links all financial records of a person together. Gone are the days when you can have money in different bank accounts and it won’t be discoverable.
First Bank BVN code
Your bank verification number is a compulsory 11 digit number attached to your bank account. Every operational bank account must be registered to the BVN. It is unique for each individual but you can only have one as a person no matter the number of accounts you operate or how many banks you operate them in. It is a general identification code through all commercial banks in Nigeria. It was introduced to reduce illegal banking operations in Nigeria.
To register for your BVN in First Bank you can visit the bank’s website and download the form, or go to any of their physical locations to register. You need a valid ID card which can be any of the Nigerian international passport, driver’s license, permanent voter’s card, or national id card.
Why you should register for BVN
- Security: Keeps your account secured from illegal and unauthorized access.
- Speed: Helps you perform fast and efficient transactions.
- Control: Gives you control over all your bank accounts and helps you link them together.
- Lastly, without a BVN your bank account is rendered useless, so you need it.
How To Check Your BVN in seconds
To check your BVN in seconds all you need is the mobile phone number you register BVN with. Dial *565*0# wait for few seconds and your BVN number pops up. You need to have up to #20 airtime on your mobile line to be able to perform the exercise and also don’t forget to use the number registered to your BVN.