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This is Step 3 of 6 in the onboarding journey. View the full onboarding overview →

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What is KYB?

KYB stands for Know Your Business. It’s how we confirm that your company is real, legally registered in Nigeria, and operating legitimately. Before we give you access to banking infrastructure that moves real money, we need to verify that the company behind the integration actually exists. This isn’t about doubting you personally. It’s a regulatory requirement from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Every licensed financial institution in Nigeria is required by law to verify the businesses they work with before providing financial services. We can’t make exceptions, even for established companies. Think of it like the onboarding paperwork you complete when opening a corporate bank account. The bank asks for your registration documents not because they distrust you, but because they’re legally required to keep those records. KYB is different from KYC. KYB verifies the company. KYC (which comes next in Step 4) verifies the people who run the company. Both are required.

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Documents required

You’ll need to upload all required documents. Optional documents aren’t mandatory but often speed up the review because they give our compliance team a more complete picture.
The name on the Director’s ID must exactly match the name recorded for that director with the CAC. A mismatch between the ID name and the CAC records is the most common reason for KYB rejection.

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How to upload your documents

Upload your documents through the portal:
  1. Log in at ubn-ui.onecluster.co
  2. Navigate to Onboarding → Documents
  3. Upload each document in the appropriate slot
  4. Click Submit for Review
The portal shows the upload progress for each file and confirms when the submission is complete. Once you submit, your account status changes to UNDER_REVIEW and our compliance team is notified. You’ll see the estimated review completion date in the portal (usually 2 business days from submission).

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Document security

Your documents contain sensitive legal and personal information. Here’s how we protect them:
All uploaded documents are encrypted using AES-256 before they’re written to storage. AES-256 (Advanced Encryption Standard with a 256-bit key) is the same encryption standard used by banks, governments, and military organisations worldwide. Even if someone gained unauthorised access to the storage system, they couldn’t read your documents without the decryption key, which is stored separately in a hardware security module.
Additional protections:
  • Documents are accessible only to authorised UBN compliance personnel during the review process
  • Access to documents is logged and audited
  • Documents are automatically deleted 90 days after your account is either fully approved or permanently rejected
  • We don’t share your documents with third parties except where required by law (for example, in response to a valid CBN regulatory request)

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After you submit: the review process

Once you submit your documents, your account status changes to UNDER_REVIEW. Here’s what happens next:
1

Automated checks (immediate)

Our system runs automated checks immediately on upload:
  • File format validation (is it actually a PDF or JPG, not a renamed file?)
  • File size validation
  • Basic legibility check (is the document machine-readable?)
2

Compliance officer review (up to 2 business days)

A trained compliance officer reviews your documents manually. They check:
  • That the company name on your Certificate of Incorporation matches what you registered with
  • That the RC number is valid and matches the CAC registry
  • That the Director’s ID belongs to a real person whose name matches the CAC records
  • That the utility bill is within 3 months and shows the registered company address
3

Decision and notification

You’ll receive an email with the outcome:
  • Approved: your documents passed review. KYC verification (Step 4) begins automatically.
  • Rejected: you’ll get a specific explanation of which document failed and why, and instructions on how to re-submit.
Review timeline: our target is to complete KYB reviews within 2 business days of submission. We don’t process reviews on weekends or Nigerian public holidays. If you submit on a Friday afternoon, expect the review to complete by end of day Tuesday.

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What happens if your documents are rejected?

If your documents are rejected, you’ll get an email from baas-support@unionbank.ng with:
  • Which document was rejected
  • The specific reason it was rejected
  • Instructions for what to fix and how to re-submit
You can re-submit documents as many times as needed. There’s no penalty for resubmission, but each review cycle takes up to 2 business days. Common rejection reasons:
The name on the certificate doesn’t exactly match the name you registered with. Even minor differences like “Ltd” vs “Limited” or a missing comma count as mismatches.Fix: either update the company name in your profile to exactly match the certificate, or contact baas-support@unionbank.ng to request a manual correction.
The ID is blurry, partially cut off, or too dark to read clearly.Fix: rescan the document. If you’re using a phone camera, get into good lighting, lay the document flat, and make sure all four corners are visible in the frame. The text on the ID must be clearly legible.
The bill is dated more than 3 months before the date of your submission.Fix: get a more recent bill. If your company’s utility bills aren’t in the company’s name (for example, the office is rented), a letter from the landlord confirming the address, accompanied by the landlord’s own recent utility bill, may be accepted. Contact baas-support@unionbank.ng to confirm.
The address on the utility bill doesn’t match the registered address on your Certificate of Incorporation or the address you provided during registration.Fix: use a bill addressed to your company’s registered address. If your company has moved, you may need to update your CAC registered address first.
The system or reviewer has flagged the document as potentially edited or modified.Fix: submit an unaltered original document. Cropping the white space around a document is fine, but removing or obscuring any text, modifying dates, or editing any content results in rejection and may trigger a compliance escalation.

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Tips for faster approval

The fastest way through KYB review is to submit high-quality documents on your first attempt. Here are the most effective things you can do:
Scan, don’t photograph. A flatbed scanner produces dramatically cleaner results than a phone camera. Most print shops and office supply stores offer scanning services for a small fee if you don’t have access to a scanner.
All four corners must be visible. If even one corner of a document is cut off, the reviewer can’t confirm it’s the full document. Leave a small margin of white space around the document when scanning.
No glare on IDs. Plastic ID cards reflect light. When photographing or scanning an ID, use diffuse lighting (not direct sunlight or a bright overhead light) to avoid glare obscuring text.
Use searchable PDFs where possible. A PDF created digitally (not a scan of a paper document) is machine-readable and passes automated checks faster.
Upload the Memorandum of Association. It’s optional, but it gives our compliance team a clear picture of your business purpose, which often reduces back-and-forth questions and speeds up approval.
Your documents are submitted. While you wait for review, you can read ahead to understand what happens during KYC verification. Continue to Step 4: KYC Verification →