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31 SWIFT Codes for Nigerian Banks

Last updated on September 28th, 2022 at 06:57 pm

Receiving international payments is one of the things webmasters or bloggers deal with every time they receive promotional content from foreign-based companies.

Although most of the content promoters, most times, prefer to make payments through PayPal or Payoneer, some of them do an international wire transfer

To receive international wire transfer just the way bloggers receive Adsense payment, you would definitely need Swift code which is also known as SWIFT number

In this updated list, we’ve compiled all the 31 swift numbers you need to promptly receive international transfers. We’ll differentiate between sort code and swift code.

First…

What is Swift code

Swift code is a standard format for Business Identifier Codes (BIC) which is used to identify banks and financial institutions globally. It says who and where they are — a sort of international bank code or ID.

Simply put, a swift code is an 8-digit code or characters associated with a Nigerian bank for customers to receive payment from abroad e.g ZEIBNGLA is the swift code for Zenith Bank Nigeria.

Apart from using the codes for international wire transfers or SEPA payments, banks also use these codes to exchange messages or communicate with each other.

Importance of swift code as a recipient

SWIFT code is also known as a Bank Identifier Code (BIC). You’ll need to give this code to anyone sending money to you from overseas. The code is made up of letters and numbers.

As the sender

If you’re sending money to someone overseas you’ll need to get the recipient’s SWIFT in order to do the transfer. Without it, cross-border can’t be done except you making an email transfer which is associated with PayPal and Payoneer.

Different country, different name, the same purpose

SWIFT codes and BIC codes are the same things and the terms are interchangeable. Other terms used by banks overseas include:

  • CHIPS (Clearing House Inter-Bank Payment System) – US and Canada only
  • NCC (National Clearing Code)
  • BSC (Bank Sort Code)
  • IFSC (Indian Financial System Code).
Example of swift codes for Nigerian banks and their meaning

As earlier pointed out, swift code is a unique 8 or 11 digit code or characters associated with a bank for the purpose of identifier in international transactions.

Analysis: ZEIBNGLA

First 4 characters – bank code (only letters) ZEIB means Zenith Bank

Next 2 characters – ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code (only letters) NG stands for Nigeria. This is because Zenith bank’s swift number in Ghana is different from its headquarters in Nigeria.

Next 2 characters – location code (letters and digits) LA stands for Lagos, where Zenith’s headquarters is located.

SWIFT Codes for All Nigerian Banks

Below is a full list of sort codes associated with all financial institutions in Nigeria

Nigerian Banks Swift Code
United Bank for Africa Plc UNAFNGLA
Fidelity Bank Plc FIDTNGLA
First Bank of Nigeria Limited FBNINGLA
Zenith Bank Plc ZEIBNGLA
Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) now Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) GTBINGLA
Union Bank of Nigeria Plc UBNINGLA
Keystone Bank Limited PLNINGLA
Titan Trust Bank Limited TTRUNGLA
Unity Bank Plc ICITNGLA
Access Bank Plc ABNGNGLA
Sterling Bank Plc NAMENGLA
Citibank Nigeria Limited CITINGLA
Wema Bank Plc WEMANGLA
First City Monument Bank Limited FCMBNGLA
Ecobank Nigeria ECOCNGLA
Heritage Bank Plc HBCLNGLA
Skye Bank Plc now Polaris Bank Limited PRDTNGLA
Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc SBICNGLX
Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited SCBLNGLA
Providus Bank Limited UMPLNGLA
Jaiz Bank Plc JAIZNGLA
Globus Bank Limited GLOUNGLA
SunTrust Bank Nigeria Limited SUTGNGLA
TAJBank Limited TAJJNGLA
Nova Merchant Bank NVMBNGLA
Rand Merchant Bank FIRNNGLA
FBNQuest Merchant Bank KDHLNGLA
FSDH Merchant Bank FSDHNGLA
Coronation Merchant Bank CMBBNGLA
AFRICAN EXPORT-IMPORT BANK AFXMNGLA
Lotus bank
Kuda Bank KUDANGBA234 is to receive payment from Payoneer

Most times, first user may be confused about the purpose and usage of sort code and swift code, this shouldn’t be. There are similarities and differences between the two banking code.

What is bank Sort Code?

A bank sort code is an 11-digit mixture of characters and numbers for local transactions among banking institutions.

Sort code is used locally to trace the origin of the branch where a transaction is initiated. In Nigeria, for instance, banking customers may not necessarily need a sort code to make transactions, but when a huge amount is involved or there is a need to track the origin of payment, a sort code may suffice.

It’s also very important to point out that every branch of the bank has a unique sort code. For instance, if bank A has 2004 branches spread across the country, each of the branches will have their unique 11-digit sort code

Example of Bank Sort code in Nigeria

UNAFNGLA044 is the sort code for the Benin branch of United Bank For Africa Plc (UBA)while UNAFNGLA223 is used for its branch in Eziukwu,Aba, Abia State.

UNAFNGLA044: UNAF stands for United Bank For Africa, NG means Nigeria (the country the bank is domiciled), LA means the bank has its corporate office located in Lagos State while 044 stands for its branch in Eziukwu, Aba.

Last 3 characters – branch code, optional (‘XXX’ for primary office) (letters and digits)

So…

What’s the difference between SWIFT Code and Sort Code

Differences between SWIFT Code and Sort Code
SWIFT Code Sort Code
It is needed to make international transactions or payment between banks It is used for local transactions between banks
In Nigeria, Swift code is 8-digit, majorly characters It is mostly 11-digit containing characters and number
Similarities between SWIFT Code and Sort Code
Both codes are associated with banking transactions
Both codes can be used to verify the origin of a payment

How to get your bank’s swift code:

Most times, you can find this information online. It isn’t hidden information. Simply use a combination of your bank name and “swift code” and the code will pop up on Google search.

Alternatively, if you want to be sure, you can get a swift code of your bank on their official website or send a message to them on their social media platform

Author

  • Opeyemi Quadri

    Ope is a finance writer and researcher with 10+ years of experience in content creation. His interests cut across investment, foreign exchange, government policies and politics. Ope is available on Twitter @OpeQuadri.

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