How to check your credit score in Nigeria for free, bureau by bureau
One free report a year from each of Nigeria's three credit bureaus. The steps at CRC, CreditRegistry and FirstCentral, what it costs after, and fixing errors.
Most Nigerians have never seen their own credit report. Many do not know they have one, or that a lender can read it before deciding whether to say yes. Fewer still know that the law gives them a free copy every year.
This article sets out what you are entitled to, the exact steps at each of the three licensed bureaus, what it costs once the free report is used, what the report contains, and what to do if it is wrong or empty.
What you are entitled to
Nigeria has three credit bureaus licensed by the Central Bank under the Credit Reporting Act 2017: CRC Credit Bureau, CreditRegistry and FirstCentral Credit Bureau (Jaiyeola, 2025). Under the Act, "credit bureaus must allow data subjects access to one free credit report each year", and must "investigate and resolve disputes within ten working days" (Animhiaga, 2026). Each bureau holds its own file, so you have three free reports a year, not one.
CRC Credit Bureau
On the website, the consumer report is a product called Self Enquiry. CRC's instruction is to "click on Add to Cart and use the promo code FREEREPORT", which is "only available free (at no cost) once in a year"; after that the listed price is ₦5,000, and "the report is delivered to your email immediately when you subscribe and make payment online" (CRC Credit Bureau, n.d.-a). The CRC Mobile app is free to download and register with a phone number, BVN and a valid ID, though "certain premium features, such as full credit report downloads or enhanced monitoring alerts, may attract a service fee" (CRC Credit Bureau, n.d.-b).
An older channel, the USSD code 5658#, was launched in 2018 for a summary report and was then "currently available to MTN subscribers only" (Akiyode Lawanson, 2018). It no longer appears on CRC's own pages, so treat it as unconfirmed and use the site or app.
CreditRegistry
CreditRegistry's consumer page says "Get your FREE annual credit report", with sign-up by phone number and BVN (CreditRegistry, n.d.-a). The report is ordered through its Credit Connection portal, where the free basic report is marked "Once Per Year" and the form asks for your BVN and at least one phone number. The same portal shows your SMARTScore, CreditRegistry's own rating (CreditRegistry, n.d.-b).
FirstCentral Credit Bureau
FirstCentral, Nigeria's first private credit bureau, turned twenty in 2025 (Olujinmi, 2025). Its FirstCentral Mobile app, free on the App Store, says users "can effortlessly check their credit scores and obtain various types of credit reports", "all delivered directly to their email" (FirstCentral Credit Bureau, n.d.). Its website did not display its steps or prices when we checked, so start from the app.
| Bureau | Free report | How | After the free one |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRC Credit Bureau | Once a year, promo code FREEREPORT | Website (Self Enquiry) or CRC Mobile app; BVN and ID | ₦5,000 listed; some app features may carry a fee |
| CreditRegistry | Once a year | Credit Connection portal; BVN and phone number | A premium report is offered; price not shown |
| FirstCentral | Check the app | FirstCentral Mobile app; reports to your email | Not published when we checked |
What you will see
A report "reflects your financial history, including repayment history, loans, current debts", and CRC turns it into a score from 300 to 850 (CRC Credit Bureau, n.d.-c). CRC's reports "cover the last 6 years of history", with retention mandated for up to 10 (CRC Credit Bureau, n.d.-d). Expect to see each lender that reported you, what you borrowed, and whether each payment was on time.
If something is wrong
A loan you never took, a payment marked late that was on time, a balance already cleared. CRC's rule is that "Unless it's an error, information cannot be removed. To correct inaccuracies, follow the dispute resolution process" (CRC Credit Bureau, n.d.-d). The bureau has ten working days to investigate. Keep the statement or receipt that proves your side, raise the dispute with the bureau, and copy the lender that reported it. Pody's own terms say that if a bureau report contains inaccurate information from Pody, you can dispute it by contacting us.
How Pody approaches it
- Two scores, two jobs. Your bureau score is what every lender sees. Your Pody Credit Score, from 0 to 1000, is what sets your limit with us, and you can see it any time in the Finance tab. It is built from your enrolment, academic standing and repayment record, not from a bureau file. See how it works.
- No credit history required to start. An empty report does not disqualify you.
- Reported both ways. Repayments on Pody, positive and negative, go to licensed Nigerian credit bureaus under the Credit Reporting Act 2017, so the empty page starts to fill.
- Errors can be disputed by writing to us, as the terms set out. Read the terms.
Three bureaus, three free reports, ten working days to fix a mistake. For a student, the most useful thing in the report is usually the blank space, and knowing it is blank for the right reason.
For what to do with that blank page, read how to build credit as a student in Nigeria.
Sources
- Akiyode Lawanson, J. (2018, April 17). CRC Credit Bureau introduces USSD code to check credit reports. BusinessDay. Read the article
- Animhiaga, E. (2026, January 24). Everything to know about the Nigeria Credit Reporting Act. Lendsqr. Read the article
- CRC Credit Bureau. (n.d.-a). CRC Self Enquiry (consumer). Checked 19 October 2026. Visit the page
- CRC Credit Bureau. (n.d.-b). CRC Mobile. Checked 19 October 2026. Visit the page
- CRC Credit Bureau. (n.d.-c). Your credit report and CRC Score. Checked 19 October 2026. Visit the site
- CRC Credit Bureau. (n.d.-d). Frequently asked questions. Checked 19 October 2026. Visit the page
- CreditRegistry. (n.d.-a). CreditRegistry for consumers. Checked 19 October 2026. Visit the page
- CreditRegistry. (n.d.-b). Credit Connection: Order credit report. Checked 19 October 2026. Visit the portal
- FirstCentral Credit Bureau. (n.d.). FirstCentral Mobile [app listing]. Apple App Store. Checked 19 October 2026. Visit the listing
- Jaiyeola, T. (2025, August 11). From AI to credit bureaus: How Nigerian digital lenders are tackling rising defaults. TechCabal. Read the article
- Olujinmi, D. (2025, November 1). Nigeria's first private credit bureau celebrates 20th anniversary. BusinessDay. Read the article