How To Make Complaint Against A Bank In Nigeria (2022): Transactions with financial institutions are typically smooth and trouble-free. While banks are generally reliable, there are times when they fall short of expectations or when a problem arises that needs to be resolved. It is extremely stressful and frustrating when things go wrong in the banking industry because of the nature of the services the banks provide, which is dealing with money.
There is no need to be alarmed if your money has been taken from your account without your knowledge or if your funds have been reduced in an unusual manner. Furthermore, if your bank is not treating the situation seriously and is not willing to resolve the problem, you have the option of filing a formal complaint with a higher authority.
The complaint should be addressed to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which oversees all financial institutions and monetary organizations in the country, including deposit money banks, microfinance banks, primary mortgage institutions, and merchant banks, among others.
Unjustifiable or inexplicable charges, poor customer service by bank employees, and unapproved transactions on customers’ accounts via bank transfers or ATM withdrawals are some of the problems that bank customers face. You may have experienced a loss of investment funds due to fraudsters and swindlers. It is recommended that you submit a petition to your bank if any of these circumstances apply to you.
In Nigeria, you can file a complaint against your bank using the following procedure:
We will go over the steps of How To Make Complaint Against A Bank In Nigeria in greater detail subsequently. Listed below is information on how and where you can file a complaint against your financial institution.
STEP 1: CONTACT YOUR BANK FIRST
If a problem arises, contact your bank immediately. In this case, you can either call them on the customer service phone numbers that are provided, or you can contact them through social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
This should always be the first step, because most of the time, clarifying the information you require can be accomplished quickly and relatively painlessly.
If you choose to communicate through a channel other than email, please make a note of the specifics of the communication, for example, if you call, write down the date and time of your call, who you spoke with (the agent’s name), what you said, and the response you received. The recordings of all phone calls are kept on file so that they can be easily reviewed in the event of a dispute.
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If you choose to write an email or send your complaints to the appropriate party through written communication, the following information should be included in your correspondence.
- Begin by addressing the letter to the branch manager of the financial institution.
- Indicate the length of time you have been a client of their company.
- Details about yourself and your account, including your account number and any other information that may be requested, should be provided.
- Explain the nature of the problem you encountered in detail and ask for a prompt resolution.
- Provide and attach proof of your complaints, such as documents, text messages, emails, and other correspondence, to demonstrate your point of view.
- If you have a solution to the pending issue, please share it with the bank.
- When writing a letter, do not use threatening or sarcastic language to convey your feelings.
- Make your points clearly and succinctly, and use polite and professional language.
- Make sure to include your contact information so that the bank can get in touch with you once a solution has been found.
STEP 2: INVOLVE THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES
If the problem does not get resolved, you will need to file a formal customer complaint with the appropriate authorities. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), regulates all banks (and other financial institutions) in Nigeria. In its Circular – FPR/DIR/CIR/GEN/01/o20, issued in 2011, the CBN outlined the procedure to be followed.
The customer is required to write a letter of complaint to the bank. According to the Central Bank of Nigeria, banks are required to provide email addresses for complaints, so you may begin by sending your complaint via email.
Afterward, you should take a copy of your complaint to your local bank branch. The complaint letter must be delivered to the bank in order to be effective.
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According to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s guidelines, the bank must resolve your complaint within 14 days of receipt of your complaint. If for some reason, the Bank has not satisfactorily resolved the complaint. You may file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Their next step will be to try and find a solution to the complaint. Please keep in mind that you can only take the issue to the CBN after you have lodged a complaint with the bank and given them 14 days to resolve the issue after receiving the complaint from you.
In addition to resolving the complaint, the CBN has the authority to impose financial penalties on the Bank if the complaint is not resolved within a reasonable time.
STEP 3: INTERACTION WITH THE CONSUMER PROTECTION DEPARTMENT OF THE CBN
In order to contact the Central Bank of Nigeria CPD, you can use one of the following methods:
- Email: All complaints, duly written, should be forwarded to the department’s mail address.
- Letter-Director, Consumer Protection Department: If you wish to file a complaint, it should be addressed to the Director of the Consumer Protection Department. You can deliver your letter to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s head office in Abuja or to any of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s branches throughout the country.
- Address: Central Business District, Abuja. If you happen to live in Lagos, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has an office on Lagos Island.
- Applying Directly from the CBN’s website: If you don’t want to bother with lengthy word order, the Central Bank of Nigeria provides a platform for you to send your complaint to them through their website. Simply go to https://www.cbn.gov.ng/Contacts/Complaints and submit your complaint.
Send your complaint to the following email address: cpd@cbn.gov.ng. Alternatives include submitting a complaint through an online form provided by the CBN at http://www.cenbankorg/Contacts/Complaints
STEP 4
The CBN does not specify a timeline for responding to complaints, but it is expected to complete the process within a reasonable amount of time. Hopefully, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will resolve the dispute between you and the bank.
If, on the other hand, the CBN is unable to resolve your complaint, you have the option of taking the matter to court. Whatever situation you find yourself in, you always have the option of taking any complaint to court, but you must first exhaust all pre-court dispute resolution options.
This final step should only be taken as a last resort due to the fact that taking a case to court is a time-consuming and potentially expensive process. You should only take this step if the amount at stake is significant, and the decision by the bank and the CBN not to resolve your complaint is clearly unjustified.
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WRITING A SUCCESSFUL BANK COMPLAINTS LETTER TO THE CBN
Due to the fact that this is an official letter, you are not permitted to write anything you want. There is a specific pattern and procedure that should be followed when filing a complaint with the Central Bank of Nigeria Consumer Protection Department.
Certainly, your complaint should be concise and to the point in order to avoid any misunderstandings. “ In order to avoid ambiguity, your complaint should be clear and concise.
The following items should be included in the complaint letter (petition), amongst other things:
- Name, Address, Contact Phone Number & E-mail of the Complainant;\s• Name of your Financial Institution
- Name, Address, Contact Phone Number & E-mail of the Complainant;\s• Name of your Financial Institution
- History/Date of the transaction in dispute;
- Amount claimed (if any);
- Attach relevant documents to support your claim
- Evidence to show that you have first lodged the complaint at your bank.”
“You can make further inquiries and obtain additional information on the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Complaints Handling Process from the Complaints Unit of your bank/financial institution or from CBN offices located throughout the country.”
In conclusion, due to the large number of complaints received by most banks, the bank may become overwhelmed and insensitive to the customer’s complaints, leading to the complaint being shoved under the desk. This is not the proper way to handle customer complaints, and as a result, once the time period stipulated by the CBN has expired(14 days), it will be necessary to take further action.
This Article has detailed steps on How To Make a Complaint Against A Bank In Nigeria.
