Access Bank to shut down digital channels as it embarks on 2nd system upgrade in 4 months

By Anuoluwamipo Idowu

Access Bank Plc, a subsidiary of Access Corporation, will be undergoing a substantial upgrade to its core banking system, Flexcube by Oracle. This is according to a Condia report. This upgrade, which will last the weekend, is the second time the financial institution will be upgrading its system in four months following a similar upgrade back in October 2024.

At the time, the bank highlighted that customers may experience disruptions on the Access Bank app, ATMs and the Internet Banking platform. The bank, however, said that during the system upgrade, its USSD code – *901# – will be available for transactions ranging from funds transfer, and bill payments as well as airtime and data purchase

While not much detail was provided for this round of upgrades, Access Bank said its digital channels will be unavailable during the upgrade period.

“Our branches will close early at 2pm and all other internal processing systems will be shut down by 5pm on Friday, February 21, 2025, Our digital channels will be temporarily unavailable on: Saturday, February 22, 2025, from 2:00am to 3:00am [and] Sunday, February 23, 2025 2:00am to 1:00pm,” the bank said in an internal memo.

According to reports, the upgrade of its Flexcube by Oracle system is a process that has been ongoing for about two years. The system is meant to improve the platform’s reflects, update security performance as the bank possesses millions in customer database, and also introduce new operations.

The unpleasant side of system upgrades in Nigerian banks

Bank System Upgrade is basically an essential banking system model which is aimed at improving productivity through the introduction of new features and streamlined workflows. Banks embark on this process in order to provide better banking services to their customers.

System upgrades have been an ongoing trend amongst Nigerian banks. This has become the common way they update their core system. While the intent behind system upgrades are good, they have a knack for leaving bitter experiences in their wake. Usually, these upgrades last the whole weekend with customers experiencing glitches as they transact on the bank apps. 

In October 2024. Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) completed a significant transition to a new core banking system, Finacle, with promises of improved efficiency and customer service.

However, the rollout left customers frustrated, reporting cases of missing funds and service disruptions. Since the system upgrade, numerous customers have come forward alleging discrepancies in their account balances. 

Jabir Ibrahim, a GTBank customer, shared his experience. He noted that he was unable to withdraw money due to an insufficient balance despite having adequate funds in his account. Ibrahim was not notified of the transactions that led to the missing funds, adding to his frustration.

When he contacted GTBank’s customer service, their response via X was to ask for patience while the issue was being resolved.  “They sent me a DM saying that I should exercise patience and that they will soon resolve the issue,” Ibrahim explained.

 Unfortunately, the unresolved issue impacted his day-to-day activities, leaving him stranded while trying to pay workers at his farm.

Another user complained about irregular transactions stating:

“We’re seeing strange activity—accounts getting credited and then debited, some with zero balances suddenly credited and then adjusted again. It’s raising serious red flags.”

made a similar upgrade as it transitioned its core banking system from Infosys to Finacle. The upgrade was meant to improve its customer service and system efficiency.

What Access Bank customers can do

Following the announcement made by Access Bank, customers are encouraged to take necessary precautions so as to prevent inconveniences. As part of this, customers can adjust their schedule to make necessary transactions outside the system upgrading schedule. 

To be on the safer side, it is advised that all forms of transactions should not be made within 3 hours of the system upgrade starting time and the same duration after. Also, other alternative bank services and fintech mediums can be explored during this period. 

In extreme situations that warrant emergency transactions that fall within the period of the system upgrade, the USSD code can be explored.