How to Check Your Credit Score in Nigeria — Free (2026)

Every loan you've taken, every card, every "buy now pay later" — it's on your credit report, and lenders check it before they lend to you. The good news: you're entitled to see it free once a year, and checking takes minutes. Most Nigerians never do.

Who holds your credit data

The CBN licenses three credit bureaus, each required to give you one free report per year:

• CRC Credit Bureau
• CreditRegistry
• FirstCentral Credit Bureau

Lenders may report to one, two, or all three, so your report can differ between them. For a full picture, check more than one.

How to check — by bureau

• CRC Credit Bureau: with an MTN line, dial *565*8# for an instant report; or on the CRC website, request a Credit Information Report and apply the free-report promo. CRC uses a FICO-style scale (300–850).
• CreditRegistry: register on their site with your name, email, BVN and BVN-linked phone, then request the free report. CreditRegistry uses its own scale (100–999).
• FirstCentral: register on their site with your BVN, verify your identity, and request your report/score.

(Confirm current codes, steps and the free-report method on each bureau's own site — promos and USSD codes change.)

Reading your score

Higher is better on every scale. What moves it:

• On-time repayments — the single biggest factor.
• How much you owe and how many active loans you carry.
• Defaults and write-offs — these hurt for years, and follow your BVN.

Why bother

• Cheaper credit. A strong score means better rates and bigger limits.
• Catch errors and fraud. A loan you don't recognise on your report can be an error — or someone borrowing in your name. You can dispute it with the bureau.
• Fix it before you apply. Checking before a big application (home, business, car) lets you clear problems first.

Frequently asked questions

Does checking my own score hurt it? No — checking your own report is a "soft" check and doesn't affect your score.

Why is my score different at each bureau? Because not every lender reports to every bureau. Check more than one.

Something on my report is wrong — what do I do? Raise a dispute directly with the bureau; they're required to investigate. Protecting your record matters — see what a BVN is.

Educational information, not financial advice. Verify each bureau's current process and your report's details directly with the bureau.