Days after Access Bank completed a core banking upgrade, many users are still struggling with digital banking services. Customers have been lodging complaints after complaints about the services.
Nigeria’s largest bank by assets hoped to avoid the disruptions seen in 2024 when GTCO, Sterling, Zenith, and FCMB upgraded their banking software, causing prolonged service outages. Sterling and GTBank customers faced issues for over four weeks.
When Michelle logged into her Access Bank app on Wednesday, she couldn’t see her transaction history. Afeez Tunde, another Access Bank customer, couldn’t even open his app.
“My USSD transactions kept failing for two days after the upgrade,” said Chioma Alex, a trader in Lagos.
Upgrading in stages was meant to prevent similar problems. “We knew a one-size-fits-all upgrade wouldn’t work given our diverse markets and complexities,” a bank employee told TechCabal.
The final phase of Access Bank’s upgrade, an enhancement of its Oracle Flexcube platform, was completed on February 23, 2025. Despite assurances of minimal disruptions, some customers report ongoing issues.
“I thought it was a glitch, so I uninstalled and reinstalled the app, but the issue persisted,” Michelle said.
“My bank app hasn’t been opening. I had to find other ways to make payments. If this was a phased upgrade to prevent disruptions, it didn’t work well for me,” Afeez added.
Access Bank has not publicly addressed these complaints, and a spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.
The upgrade is part of the bank’s digital transformation push. Access Bank allocated ₦68.62 billion ($51.3 million)—20% of its latest capital raise—to technology infrastructure. With over 63 million customers across Africa, the lender is focusing on digital expansion.
However, the real test isn’t how much Access Bank spends—whether these investments lead to reliable service.
