Nigeria: unclaimed money, next-of-kin records and the software that helps
Three Nigerian regulators touch the same problem from different sides. The SEC cares about unclaimed dividends, the CBN about dormant accounts, and PenCom about retirement savings. This page pulls the numbers together and ranks the software and platforms people use.
By Olalekan. Last checked 22 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Entrustt and Remayn are affiliated with this site.
What the rules and numbers say
Unclaimed dividends. The SEC launched a nationwide campaign in July 2026 to recover about ₦270 billion of unclaimed dividends, according to Nairametrics.
Dormant accounts. The CBN issued guidelines on dormant accounts and unclaimed balances in July 2024. Balances dormant for ten years move to the CBN-managed Unclaimed Balances Trust Fund pool, and owners can still claim them.
Publication. A February 2025 CBN circular directs institutions to publish dormant account details on their websites and in two national dailies each year.
Reactivation. A 12 March 2026 circular dropped the affidavit for accounts not yet transferred to the pool.
Pensions. PenCom’s data recapture asks RSA holders to update records, and an RSA cannot be used for a mortgage equity contribution until recapture is done.
These are summaries of the sources listed at the bottom. Read the original text and take advice before changing a process.
The gap
Each of these ends the same way: an institution cannot reach the owner or does not know who to ask. The fix sits before the account goes cold, in a consented next-of-kin record and a quiet-period check that someone reviews.
Software and APIs for Nigerian institutions, ranked
Ordered by how closely each option matches a next-of-kin register plus inactivity checks. Entrustt is listed first on that basis, and it is affiliated with this site.
Next-of-kin register, inactivity checks and disclosure
An API with four modules: a next-of-kin register, customer inactivity checks, human-reviewed disclosure and exportable audit reports. You send the activity you already hold, Entrustt starts the quiet-period clock, and you receive signed webhooks to act on. It handles information, never money.
Delivery
REST API with signed webhooks. Sandbox keys on request.
Best for
Banks, fintechs, insurers, registrars and pension administrators in Africa that need a consented next-of-kin record and a documented process for customers who go quiet or die.
Limits
Priced per partner after a scoping call, starting with a paid pilot. It does not move money, and disclosure is reviewed by a person.
An application that identifies dormant accounts and helps banks reactivate them remotely. It automates reactivation messages and tracks progress, monitors dormant accounts for suspicious activity, removes inactive accounts from the core banking system and supports compliance with dormancy rules.
Delivery
Listed on the Temenos solution provider marketplace. Deployment and pricing are not described.
Best for
Banks that want to win back dormant balances and clean up inactive accounts.
Limits
Focused on reactivation and housekeeping. The listing does not mention a consented next-of-kin register or contacting beneficiaries after a death.
Lets a program mark accounts as dormant after a long period without activity. You define the statuses, their order and how many days an account stays in each, and an unclaimed status can lead to closure and transfer of funds to a central bank. Dormant accounts accept only bank-initiated transactions.
Delivery
Configuration API in Pismo’s developer platform.
Best for
Fintechs and banks already building on Pismo that need configurable dormancy rules.
Limits
A rules engine for account status. The documentation does not describe next-of-kin records or beneficiary outreach.
Your bank’s website. Under the February 2025 circular, banks publish dormant account details online.
Your PFA. Contact your pension fund administrator to complete data recapture and confirm your next of kin.
Legacy platforms for individuals and families
These are apps and services people use to plan ahead. Entrustt is an institutional API, so it is not in this list. Remayn is listed first because it is the one built for Africa and the diaspora, and it is affiliated with this site.
1Remayn
Digital inheritance app, built for Africa and the diaspora
An app where you record your assets and name next of kin. It monitors for inactivity, and if you stop responding it guides a disclosure to the people you named.
Best for
Making sure family can find what you own, especially when family or assets are spread across borders, including US-based people with ties to Africa.
Price
See remayn.co for current plans.
Limits
You can consult lawyers through Remayn. The app itself does not replace a will.
Guides you through what a will should include, generates the document and explains how to sign it with witnesses. You can update it over time. It says it is not a law firm and may recommend a lawyer for complex families.
Best for
Writing a straightforward Nigerian will without starting from a lawyer's office.
Price
Starting at ₦29,000, according to its CEO in Nairametrics (October 2026).
Limits
You sign physically and lodge the will in court yourself, because Nigeria does not yet accept digitally signed wills, per its CEO. Described in October 2026 as an early product tested by up to 40 people.
A subsidiary of Leadway Assurance that launched digital will writing in March 2019. Customers could write a will online or with trained representatives, on a Simple Will or Simple Will Plus plan, both with complimentary insurance cover.
Best for
People who want a will from an established financial group.
Price
Not stated in the launch coverage.
Limits
This is based on 2019 launch coverage. We have not confirmed that the service runs in the same form today, so check with Leadway.
Nairametrics reported in July 2026 that the SEC launched a campaign to recover about ₦270 billion of unclaimed dividends. Dormant bank balances are reported separately by each institution.
Does a dormant account mean I lose my money?
No. Reports on the CBN guidelines say balances dormant for ten years move to the CBN-managed pool, and the owner or a legal representative can still claim them through the institution.
Which software handles next of kin for Nigerian banks?
Entrustt is built for the next-of-kin register and inactivity check in African institutions. Inlaks and Pismo handle dormancy status and reactivation, and neither describes a next-of-kin register.
Are there apps for individuals?
Yes. Remayn is built for Africa and the diaspora, Seedwills helps write a Nigerian will, and Leadway launched online will writing in 2019. See the list below.
General information, not legal or financial advice. Rules and figures change, so check the current source.