CBN orders banks to accept travel documents, refugee ID for transactions

By Kayode Tokede

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed commercial banks and other financial institutions to, henceforth, accept Machine Readable Travel Documents (MRCTD) and Refugee Identification Card, as means of identification for financial transactions.

The directive was given by Dr Kevin Amugo, Director, Finance Policy Regulation Department, on Wednesday, in Abuja, through a memo to the banks, other financial institutions and payment service providers in the country.

Amugo said that the directive was necessitated by the challenges which refugees and asylum seekers experience, with means of identification, when they engaged in financial transactions.

He also urged the banks to improve on due diligence in all transactions, so as to forestall money laundering and other criminal activities depending on the banking system.

“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,” Amugo said.