Are you searching for the right bank to save and manage your money? This article covers the top 10 banks in Nigeria- Best banks in Nigeria.
In Nigeria today, there are 22 commercial banks distributed across the country. These banks operate based on the policies and credit guidelines set by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Commercial banks in Nigeria offer a range of financial services including, retail banking, mobile banking, loans, mortgages, credit cards, cheques. These banks provide funding, loans and financial advice necessary for the growth of the Nigerian economy by supporting small and medium businesses as well as large corporations and governmental bodies.
In this article, we have listed out top 10 digital banks in Nigeria recognized for their reliability, financial stability and customer service support.
Related: How To Use Gtbank Mobile App
Table of Content
- Table showing top 10 banks in Nigeria 2024.
- Top 10 banks in Nigeria.
- Access Bank
- First Bank
- Zenith Bank
- United Bank of Africa
- Guarantee Trust Bank
- Sterling Bank
- Polaris Bank
- Union Bank
- Stanbic IBTC
- Fidelity Bank
Table Showing to top 10 best bank in Nigeria 2024 and their assets
|
S/N |
Banks |
Assets |
|
1. |
Access Bank |
13.19 trillion naira |
|
2. |
First Bank |
9.53 trillion naira |
|
3. |
Zenith Bank |
10.12 trillion naira |
|
4. |
United Bank of Africa |
8.99 trillion naira |
|
5. |
Guarantee Trust Holding Company Plc |
5.69 trillion naira |
|
6. |
Sterling Bank |
1.81 trillion naira |
|
7. |
Polaris Bank |
1.41 trillion naira |
|
8. |
Union Bank |
2.54 trillion naira |
|
9. |
Stanbic IBTC |
3.15 trillion naira |
|
10. |
Fidelity Bank |
3.69 trillion naira |
Top Ten Banks in Nigeria
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Access Bank
Access Bank is one of the top banks in Nigeria that aims to help customers identify the right financial strategy to grow and sustain their finances.The bank operates through a network of over 600 branches and service outlets, catering to a customer base of 49+ million spread across three continents.
Although founded 1988, it was incorporated as a privately owned commercial bank in 1989 and obtained a Universal banking licence from the CBN in February, 2001. Upon acquiring Diamond Bank in 2018, the entire issued shared capital of Diamond Bank has been transferred to Access Bank and has since grown to be one of the the top 5 largest banks in Nigeria.
Due to the rapid growth of the bank's assets they are now one of Nigeria's biggest lenders. This bank has over 300 networks in Nigeria, China, United Arab Emirates(UAE), India, and Lebanon, generating annual revenues of 381 billion naira
Over the years, Access Bank has provided sustainable economic growth to individuals, businesses and corporations all over Nigeria. It has achieved this by consistently delivering client-based solutions through a series of personal banking products and services. It is the best bank in Nigeria.
How to open an Access Bank Account
You can open an access bank account via the contact centre, ussd, online or the branch office. To open via ussd;
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Dial *901*0# and follow the prompts, you can either open an account by using your BVN or by providing your personal details as prompted. Upon provision of the required details, you will receive an SMS with details of your new account number.
Access Bank account opening Requirements
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Duly completed account opening form including signature mandate section
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1 passport photograph
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Means of identification required (secondary ID allowed: any verifiable ID e.g. Association ID, student ID)
-KYC Documentation of the customer
- Valid proof of residence
- Visitation report
- BVN of signatory(ies)
- AML risk assessment
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Customer data to be verified with NIMC, INEC, FRSC and others where applicable.
Click here to learn more about Access Bank
Check this: List Of Access Bank USSD Code
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First Bank
First Bank of Nigeria is one of Nigeria's wealthiest banks. In 2022, they recorded an asset of 9.5 trillion naira. The bank has successfully built a global reputation as a top pan-African financial institution. It is currently one of the biggest bank in Nigeria.
With a customer base of 13 million customers spread across West Africa, the bank holds a very significant position among the top 5 banks in Nigeria 2024 to open an account with. In 2021, the first bank's mobile app which has helped over 6 million users manage financial transactions digitally, was awarded the African Innovative product of the year by African Leadership Magazine Awards.
Since its inception in 1894, the bank has consistently invested and implemented financial strategies in restructuring small and large scale businesses to build more profitable growth opportunities in the Nigerian economy. The Bank's unwavering focus on international expansion has made it one of the strongest leading Sub-Saharan African financial institutions in Africa.
Dial *901*0# and follow the prompts, you can either open an account by using your BVN or by providing your personal details as prompted. Upon provision of the required details, you will receive an SMS with details of your new account number.
How to open a First Bank Account
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To open a personal Savings account.
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Download an Individual Account Opening Form.
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For joint account holders, download the Joint Account Holder Form.
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Complete the form and with the accompanying documents, submit at the nearest FirstBank branch.
First Bank account opening Requirements
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Valid means of Identification(national ID, international passport, driver’s licence).
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BVN
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Utility Bill(electricity bill, water rate bill, tenement rate, rent receipt).
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Two passport sized photograph
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Signature
Click here to learn more about First Bank
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Zenith Bank
Zenith Bank, one of Nigeria's most influential financial institutions, was established in 1990. At inception, it began operation with a capital base of 4 million dollars. Due to its investment in IT in the early 2000's, the bank witnessed rapid growth in capitalization. Currently, the Bank is placed among the top 5 banks in Nigeria in terms of capital base and profitability. This impressive growth has earned it multiple awards, praises and excellent ratings locally and internationally.
Just recently, in 2022, Zenith Bank emerged as Bank of the year by the Nigerian Bankers Bank of the year awards. The bank's commitment to providing high quality products, services and excellent customer support to its customers has enhanced its performance when contesting for highly competitive awards.
Zenith Bank has more than 500 branch offices across Nigeria, as well as multiple subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, UAE, Ghana, Sierra Leone and the Gambia. It is also one of the first Nigerian banks to promote the use of digital banking to carry out financial operations, making banking easier for its customers.
How to open a Zenith Bank Account via USSD
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Dial *966*0# and following the prompts or walking into any zenith bank branch nationwide.
Zenith Bank account opening Requirements
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Account opening form duly completed
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One recent clear passport photograph of signatory
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Identification of signatories (Driver’s License, International Passport, National Identity Card or Voter’s Card)
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Residence permit (where applicable)
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Utility Receipt dated within the last three months (PHCN bill, water rate bill, tenement rate, rent receipt, telephone bill)
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Two independent and satisfactory references should you want to deposit cheques over N2,000,000.00.
Click here to learn more about Zenith Bank
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United Bank of Africa
United Bank of Africa is a top technologically advanced financial institution in Sub-Saharan Africa. The bank provides excellent financial support for micro, small and medium sized businesses in Africa.
In over 65 years of operations, the bank has expanded in twenty African countries with a mission to help provide superior financial service as well as top-notch digital banking services for individuals and businesses across Africa. The bank also operates in the United Kingdom, France and the UAE and it remains the only pan-African bank with an operational banking licence in the United States.
Currently, UBA caters to more than 27 million customers and provides a range of comprehensive financial services through multiple channels of over 1000 branch offices, 2000 ATMs, 87000 POS and a digital chatbot LEO.
How to open a UBA Account
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To open the UBA instant account, log in to the uba online account opening portal. Complete the form and with the accompanying documents, verify your details.
UBA account opening Requirements
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1 Recent Passport Photograph
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A Utility Bill issued within the last three months
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Biodata – Full name, Phone Number, Date of Birth etc.
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A Valid form of Identification - International passport biodata page, Driver's licence, National Identification Card (NIN) or Voter's card.
Learn more about United Bank of Africa
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Guarantee Trust Holding company plc
GTCo is one the best bank in Nigeria 2024 with many branches across Nigeria. The bank has a great customer support system and is best bank in Nigeria for students and small businesses who want to grow and sustain their finances. The bank offers a variety of banking services including, retail banking, corporate banking, investment banking, internet banking and asset banking.
Gtco has undergone major rebranding exercises to expand and improve its brand in the local and international community. The bank has grown to become a highly recognized and customer focused financial institution in Nigeria.
Gtco offers retail loans, digital banking services, investment plan, financial strategies, e business solutions and other innovative banking products designed to suit the personal and business needs of its vast customer base. Over the past decades, the bank has consistently provided the most secure payment gateway for individuals and businesses across Africa. Today, Guaranty trust has growing domestic and international business ties that extend across more than 15 correspondent banks and financial institutions in several continents across the world. Gtco is a reliable bank to keep and manage your money in. When compared to other banks, they have a relatively lower service charge.
How to open a Guaranty Trust Bank Account
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Click here to download the gtsave account opening form; complete it, print and submit at any GTBank branch (Find the branch closest to you).
Guaranty Trust Bank account opening Requirements
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A signed copy of the GTSave account opening form.
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A relevant means of identification (Driver's License, International passport, National I.D Card).
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One recent passport photograph.
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Utility bill issued within the last 3 months.
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Sterling Bank
Sterling Bank is a full-fledged national commercial bank committed to delivering pre-eminent financial solutions to individuals, small businesses and large organisations. It is one of Nigeria's largest financial institutions, with assets valued at least 1.8 trillion naira. It is one of the best bank in Nigeria.
It was formerly known as NAL bank, an outstanding investment bank and has since evolved to become a fully functioning commercial financial institution. As part of the 2006 consolidation of the Nigerian banking industry, Sterling Bank was created through the merger of NAL bank with 4 other banks- Indo-Nigeria, Merchant Bank, Magnum Trust Bank, NBM Bank and Trust Bank of Africa.
The bank currently operates through four banking channels namely, Retail & Consumer Banking, Commercial Banking, Institutional Banking and Corporate Banking. These channels cover several sectors in the Nigerian industry including micro and retail businesses, agriculture, telecommunications, food and beverages and more. The bank's branch offices, subsidiaries and affiliates ensure its success. Presently, there are over 140 Sterling Bank office branches and 654 ATM's distributed across Nigeria.
How to open a Sterling Bank Account
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Simply dial *822*7# and follow the onscreen prompts. This kind of account has a Maximum single deposit of N20,000 while the Maximum cumulative balance of N200,000 at any point in time. Maximum transaction limit of N3,000 and daily limit of N30,000.
Sterling Bank account opening Requirements
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Phone Number
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Email Address (Not Mandatory for Tier 1 Account)
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Bank Verification Number (BVN).
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Date of Birth.
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Next of Kin details
Learn more about Sterling Bank
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Polaris Bank
Polaris Bank is a customer-focused commercial banking organisation with over 244 branches across Nigeria. Up until 2018, it was formerly known as Skye bank before its operating licence was revoked and transferred under a new entity, 'Polaris Bank'.
Polaris bank originated way back in 1990, when prudent bank plc was rebranded as a merchant bank. In 2006, prudent bank also underwent a merger with four other banks to form Skye bank.
In terms of customer service, Polaris Bank is among the top 5 best bank in Nigeria. They have built a very solid reputation for themselves. There are lots of positive reviews from Polaris Bank customers which indicate that the bank is very reliable to keep your savings and invest. You can easily walk into one of the many Polaris Bank branches across Nigeria to open an account, make a transaction or complaints, or seek financial advice.
How to open a Polaris Bank Account
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Visit the nearest Polaris Bank branch, walk straight to the customer service to submit your correct information such as passport photograph, BVN, date of birth etc.
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Dial *833*1# and follow the onscreen prompts.
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Lastly, you can download the Individual account opening form, fill in your right details and submit it.
Polaris Bank account opening Requirements
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Recent passport photograph.
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Bank Verification Number(BVN).
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Signature.
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Means of Identification - Driver’s License, Voters Card, National ID, Int’l Passport.(Not mandatory for instant account).
Related: Polaris Bank Transfer Code - Polaris Bank USSD Codes
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Union Bank
Union Bank is one of Nigeria's oldest banking institutions. It was founded in 1917 as Colonial bank which was a top financial institution that catered to small and medium sized businesses as well as large corporations.
It later went through a series of changes that resulted in the evolution of an innovative Nigerian-owned financial entity and adopted the Union Bank. Union Bank offers a wide range of financial services to individuals and businesses, home and abroad. It is a very reliable bank to invest in.
If you're a student, small business or government employee, this is just the bank for you. Union Bank provides low-interest financial rates to clients who need a way to grow or invest their money. Union Bank also offers a management trainer program(MTP) designed to prepare fresh graduates to become fully equipped members of the bank ready to make an impact across various financial banking sectors.
How to open a Union Bank Account
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Log in to the Union Bank website, enter your BVN details below and get started with opening an account online.
Union Bank account opening Requirements
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Bank Verification Number
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Date of Birth
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Bio Data
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Passport sized photograph
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Residential Address
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Stanbic IBTC
Stanbic IBTC offers a wide range of personal, business and commercial banking products and services to its customers through its office branches and online platforms. The bank is dedicated to promoting financial inclusion across several business sectors by fulfilling the individual financial needs of each customer.
Stanbic IBTC offers personal loans, vehicle and asset finance, housing loans, insurance, investments, credit and debit cards, pensions, small and medium scale business loans to individuals or businesses. Small and medium business enterprises, as well as individuals or government corporations may also enjoy the vast financial services offered by the bank.
It is one of the best bank to open in Nigeria, a current, savings or domiciliary account. The bank has also provided easier ways to carry out your financial transactions with the introduction of the USSD codes and bank app. Stanbic has a total asset worth 3.15 trillion naira with an estimated customer base of and over 4000 employees work for the company across Nigeria.
How to open an Stanbic Bank Account
To open a stanbic bank account via USSD:
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Dial *909#
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Select 9 for others
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Select 1 or My Bank
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Follow the onscreen prompts
Mobile App:
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Select create instant account on the log in page of the mobile app and follow prompts
Download the mobile app on Google Playstore here
Download the mobile app on the App store here
Stanbic Bank account opening Requirements
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2 passport photographs.
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Valid means of Identification
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Utility bill carrying physical address.
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Minimum of N2,000.
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Fidelity Bank
Fidelity Bank is one of the best SME friendly commercial banks in Nigeria. The bank is highly recognized for its investments in a niche group of micro,small and medium scale enterprises (MSME) and has more than 7 million customers in Nigeria alone.
The total asset value of the bank has risen to 3.69 trillion naira. Over the last decade, the bank implemented a digital banking retail strategy to help customers bank easier, this has resulted in significant growth in the bank's capital, savings deposit, assets and positive customer satisfaction and feedback, earning them a reputation as one of the most successful commercial banks in Nigeria.
Fidelity bank plc initially commenced operations in Nigeria as a merchant bank. However, in 1999, It converted to a commercial bank and obtained its universal banking in 2001. The bank is currently one of Nigeria's largest banks thanks to the merger with the former FSB International Bank Plc and Manny Bank in 2005.
With operations in over 250 branch offices, 750+ automated teller machines and 4300+ point of sales terminals and other digital banking channels distributed throughout Nigeria, Fidelity is a dependable bank to save your money.
How to open a Fidelity Bank Account
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Kindly visit the nearest Fidelity Bank branch, to submit your correct self-information such as passport photograph, BVN, date of birth etc.
Fidelity Bank account opening Requirements
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Name
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Tax identification number
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Valid government photo identification issued at least 30 days ago
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Date of birth
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Mailing and physical address (if different)
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Contact phone number
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Mother’s maiden name (for additional security)
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Citizenship/Residency status
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Occupation
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General source of funds (e.g. wages, self-employed, etc.)
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Expected level of cash activity
Learn more about Fidelity bank
With this article, choosing the right bank that fits your financial needs should no longer be a problem.
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