ProvidusUnity Bank customers lament service issues 2 months after merger

Two months after Providus Bank and Unity Bank merged to form ProvidusUnity Bank Limited, many customers are sharing complaints online about the problems they’ve been facing with the bank’s services.

These issues include transfers that disappear for hours or even days, problems logging into the app, missing transaction alerts, and businesses struggling to pay staff due to ongoing network failures.

One customer said a transfer had still not gone through almost a full day later, marking the second time that week they had experienced the same issue. Another person reported being unable to log into the app or receive alerts since the merger. A business owner shared their frustration about not being able to pay salaries for two days in a row due to poor service from the bank.

Several clients who had previously trusted the bank for significant transactions, like car purchases, reported instances where money was stuck for hours during crucial payments.

Many of the complaints share a common theme. Customers are linking the decline in service directly to the merger, with some saying Providus used to have a strong reputation for digital banking before teaming up with Unity Bank.

“Ever since Providus Bank merged with Unity Bank, their services have really declined,” one user commented, a feeling echoed by many others. Some users also noted that complaints about the bank have become increasingly common.

Similar read: Providus and Unity Bank officially merge into ProvidusUnity Bank Limited

Not everyone has had a bad experience, though. At least one user stated that their banking services have been functioning well since the merger, reminding us that these issues can affect customers differently based on their location, account type, or the system their account was on before the merger.

What the ProvidusUnity Bank merger was supposed to deliver

The recent complaints about the merger of Providus Bank and Unity Bank stand in stark contrast to how the merger was initially presented when it was finalised in mid-2026. At that time, the Supreme Court dissolved Unity Bank’s board and approved the new name, ProvidusUnity Bank, for the combined entity.

This decision resolved a legal dispute between two Unity Bank shareholders that had the potential to delay this significant banking consolidation in Nigeria.

Following the merger, ProvidusUnity Bank became the ninth-largest bank in Nigeria by assets, boasting 229 branches and serving around 3.6 million customers.

With a total asset base of ₦4.49 trillion as of the fiscal year 2024, the merger brought together two very different banks: Providus Bank, which has been known for its digital-first approach and focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) since 2017, and Unity Bank, recognised for its extensive physical branch network and established presence in the country.

The Central Bank of Nigeria supported this merger with a ₦700 billion loan, highlighting its importance in a broader initiative to consolidate the banking sector and ensure banks meet new capital requirements. Initially, the banks portrayed the merger as a way to combine Unity’s tradition of seamless service with Providus’s strengths in technology and digital banking, aiming to create a stronger competitor against Nigeria’s largest banks.

Customers are expressing frustration with Providus Bank after its merger with Unity Bank. Merging the two banks involves complex work to unite their systems and databases, which can take time. Providus’s existing infrastructure was designed for its own customer base, making it challenging to integrate Unity Bank’s 3.6 million customers and larger branch network.

As a result, issues like transfer delays, login problems, and missing alerts are emerging.

So far, the bank hasn’t publicly addressed these complaints. This is especially concerning for a bank known for its digital reliability, as the success of this merger will depend on whether it can resolve these issues quickly before customers become too frustrated.

Also read: Supreme Court sanctions Unity-Providus Bank merger, ending legal battle