Leading Nigerian commercial bank, Access Bank, has announced a temporary shutdown of its services for a crucial system upgrade. This essential maintenance is scheduled to commence on Saturday, October 12, 2024, at 10 pm and conclude in the early hours of Sunday, October 13, 2024, by 6:30 am West African Time. The announcement was initially communicated to customers via email on Tuesday, October 7, 2024, and further emphasized through a press release on the bank’s X handle, stressing the importance of this operational enhancement.

The primary objective of this comprehensive system upgrade is to strengthen the optimization of Access Bank's service delivery to its customers. According to the bank, this initiative is part of their continuous drive to better serve customers by optimizing system functionality, improving productivity through new features, and streamlining workflows. Beyond enhancing the customer experience, such system upgrades are vital for banks to achieve better operational efficiency and maintain a competitive edge in the market.

During the upgrade period, Access Bank customers may experience certain disruptions across various digital channels. These include potential interruptions on the Access Bank mobile application, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), and the Internet Banking platform. However, the bank has assured its customers that service across all channels will be fully restored upon the successful completion of the upgrade exercise.

To mitigate inconvenience, Access Bank has highlighted that its USSD code – *901# – will remain available for essential transactions throughout the upgrade window. Customers will be able to perform critical operations such as funds transfers, bill payments, and the purchase of airtime and data using this service. This provision is intended to ensure that customers still have access to fundamental banking services during the temporary shutdown of other platforms.

Access Bank encourages its customers to take necessary precautions to avoid any inconveniences during this period. Customers are advised to adjust their schedules and complete any necessary transactions outside of the system upgrade window. Specifically, it is recommended that all forms of transactions should not be attempted within three hours before the upgrade starts and for the same duration after it is scheduled to conclude. Furthermore, customers can explore alternative banking services and fintech mediums for urgent transactions. In extreme situations requiring emergency transactions that fall within the upgrade period, the USSD code is recommended as the primary alternative.