UBNINGLA11-character variant (head office):
UBNINGLAXXX| Bank code | Country | Location |
|---|---|---|
| UBNI | NG | LA |
| Union Bank | NG (Nigeria) | Lagos |
An 11-character variant like UBNINGLAXXX also indicates the head office — the trailing 'XXX' is the default. Codes ending in different sequences (e.g. 'UBNINGLA001') refer to specific branches.
Union Bank of Nigeria is one of the country's oldest commercial banks, founded in 1917 as Barclays Bank D.C.O. (Dominion, Colonial, Overseas) and renamed Union Bank in 1979 following Nigerianisation. The bank was acquired by Titan Trust Bank in 2022 in a transaction that consolidated ownership and refreshed governance. Union Bank operates around 300 branches across Nigeria and is one of the most recognisable retail-banking brands in the country. For diaspora senders, the bank's SWIFT code UBNINGLA identifies the head office at 36 Marina, Lagos; correspondent banking relationships in the UK, US, and Eurozone route inbound naira wires through this identifier.
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SWIFT and BIC are two names for the same identifier: an 8 or 11-character code standardised by ISO 9362 that identifies a bank in the SWIFT payment network. For a wire to Union Bank, your sending bank needs this code (UBNINGLA) to route the payment message through correspondent banks to Union Bank of Nigeria in Lagos.
An IBAN, by contrast, identifies a specific bank account — not the institution. IBANs are mandatory in the European Economic Area, the UK, most of the Middle East, and several African countries (but Nigeria does not use IBANs universally). For most wires to Nigeria, you will supply SWIFT code UBNINGLA + the recipient's account number, not an IBAN.
UK sort codes (6 digits) and US routing numbers (9 digits) are domestic-only equivalents — they do not work for international wires. If a US-based sender wants to wire to Union Bank, they need the SWIFT code, not the US routing number of the correspondent bank (although their bank may use the routing number internally to route their side of the wire).
One final technical detail on the 11-character form: the last three characters identify a specific branch. When they read 'XXX' (as in UBNINGLAXXX), they conventionally designate the head office itself. Most international wires use either the 8-character form or the 11-character form with XXX; unless your recipient explicitly tells you otherwise, that is the right choice.
Union Bank of Nigeria's SWIFT/BIC code is UBNINGLA. This 8-character code identifies the bank's Lagos head office for international wire transfers.
Yes. SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) and BIC (Business Identifier Code) are two names for the same 8 or 11-character identifier standardised by ISO 9362. You will see Union Bank's code referenced under either name on different financial platforms.
Yes. For an international wire to reach your Union Bank account, the sender needs SWIFT code UBNINGLA AND your account number. Some sending banks also request the recipient bank's full address (Stallion Plaza, 36 Marina, Lagos).
Typically 1 to 5 business days. The timing depends on the intermediary (correspondent) banks between the sending bank and Union Bank. Wires from major global banks (HSBC, Barclays, JPMorgan, Citi) usually clear fastest.
For smaller amounts to Nigeria, operators such as Wise, LemFi, Sendwave, and TapTap Send typically offer a rate closer to mid-market and lower fees than a classic SWIFT bank wire. See our Nigeria inbound corridor comparison for side-by-side pricing.
Source: Union Bank's official website + Wise SWIFT directory. Last verified: 2026-06-04. SWIFT codes change rarely but always confirm with your bank before initiating a transfer. Educational only — not financial advice.