Next of Kin Software in Nigeria: What Banks, Insurers, Pension Administrators and Fintechs Need

Next-of-kin software keeps the name and contact details of the person each customer has chosen, with their consent, and makes them usable when you cannot reach the customer. Here is what to look for, sector by sector, and how Entrustt powers it.

By Olalekan. Last checked 22 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Entrustt is next-of-kin software for Nigerian institutions. It keeps a consented next-of-kin register, runs inactivity checks and supports reviewed disclosure, through one API your engineers can test in a sandbox.

What good next-of-kin software does

Records consent. Each contact is stored with who named them, when, and what they agreed to.
Keeps details current. It prompts customers to confirm their contact, so records do not go stale.
Separates roles. A contact, a beneficiary and a person with legal authority are different things.
Has a human in the loop. A staff member reviews before anything is shared.
Keeps an audit log. Every step can be shown to a regulator or auditor.
Connects by API. It fits the core system you already run.

What each sector needs

Banks and mortgage lenders. TheCable’s summary of the CBN guidelines puts dormancy at typically one year for current accounts and two years for savings accounts. A named second contact gives a bank another way to reach the customer before an account goes dormant. See the CBN dormant account checklist.

Insurers. A policy only pays the person who is named on it, so beneficiary details need to be current. One consumer guide notes that disputed beneficiary designations slow a claim, and that a policy nobody knows about will never pay out. The same guide reports that NIIRA 2025 gave NAICOM stronger enforcement powers and a 60-day settlement timeline. A current register of named people helps an insurer meet that timeline. See Entrustt for insurers.

Pension fund administrators. PenCom’s data recapture treats a change of next of kin as a reason to update records, and applies to RSAs opened on or before 1 July 2019, according to TheCable. A register that prompts contributors to confirm their next of kin supports that exercise. See PenCom data recapture and next of kin.

Fintechs. Wallet customers often sign up with a phone number and little else. A named second contact is another route when a user stops responding, collected with consent and kept separate from the wallet itself.

NGX registrars. The SEC launched a nationwide campaign in July 2026 to recover about ₦270 billion in unclaimed dividends, per Nairametrics. Registrars that hold a consented contact for shareholders have another route to people who have moved or changed numbers. See unclaimed dividends and registrars.

How Entrustt powers it

One register, many sectors. The same API serves banks and fintechs, insurers and registrars and pension administrators.
Inactivity checks built in. Your systems send activity signals. Entrustt runs the quiet period, the check-in and the escalation.
Reviewed disclosure. A person at your institution approves each case before any contact is made.
Security and procurement. Read the security page, the data processing agreement and the subprocessor list.
Pilot first. See pricing for how a pilot works.

Related guides

Common questions

What is next of kin software?

Software that stores the person a customer, policyholder or contributor has named, keeps those details current, records consent and lets your team reach that person under rules you set.

Is next of kin the same as a beneficiary?

Not always. A named beneficiary on an insurance policy or pension account has a defined role in a claim. A next of kin on a bank profile is usually a contact. Good software keeps both, and does not mix them up.

Who needs it in Nigeria?

Banks, mortgage lenders, fintechs, insurers, pension fund administrators and NGX registrars all hold customer records that go stale. Each has a different reason to keep a second contact current.

Does it replace our compliance process?

No. It supports it. Entrustt handles information, never money, and the institution stays responsible for its own rules and decisions.

How can I try Entrustt?

Book a conversation with Entrustt or ask for sandbox keys, and your engineers can test the API before you decide.

General information, not legal advice. Rules and figures change, so check the current text from the CBN, NAICOM, SEC and PenCom before you act.