Accept Refugee ID, Travel Document As Means Of Identification, CBN Tells Banks

The Central Bank of Nigeria has approved the use of Machine Readable Convention Travel Documents and Refugee Identification as valid documents to carry out banking transactions.

The apex bank said in a statement posted on its website that the directive was following concerns of the difficulty refugees and asylum seekers undergo to conduct financial transactions in the country.

To ease access to the financial sector for asylum seekers and refugees, CBN said banks were now permitted to accept the MRCTD and the Refugee Identification for transaction.

CBN said, “To address these concerns, all banks and financial institutions are referred to the provisions of the CBN AML/CFT Regulations 2013 (as amended) on customer due diligence.

“They should note that MRCTD issued by the Nigeria Immigration Services; and the Refugee Identity Card issued by the National Commission for Refugee, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, are adequate means of identification for banking transactions.

“Banks and other financial institutions are also required to continue to ensure that effective customer due diligence policies and procedures are implemented to combat money laundering, financing of terrorists, as well as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.”