If something happened to you, could your family find your exchange accounts? A Nigerian planning guide

Most account recovery advice assumes you are the one trying to get back in. But there is another situation that families across Nigeria increasingly face: a relative who held crypto falls seriously ill or passes away, and nobody knows which exchanges they used, which email was linked or where any wallet backup is kept. Without that information, funds on platforms such as Binance, OKX, Bybit or Bitget can stay out of reach for a long time, and grieving relatives become easy targets for people offering paid recovery help. This guide explains how to prepare a simple emergency access note that points trusted family to your accounts and the official processes, while keeping passwords, codes and recovery phrases protected.

Decide who should know and what they need

Choose one or two people you trust, such as a spouse, adult child or the executor of your will. They do not need to understand trading. What they need is to know that the accounts exist, which platforms you use, which email address and phone number are linked to each, and roughly what kind of assets are there. They also need to know that exchanges handle these cases through formal support processes that normally require documents such as a death certificate, proof of relationship and legal authority over the estate.

Write an emergency access note without secrets

Prepare a short document listing each exchange, the email used for the account, the linked phone number and a brief note on what is held there. If you keep crypto in a personal wallet, say which wallet app or device you use and where the recovery material is stored, but do not write the recovery phrase in the same note. Avoid including passwords or two-factor backup codes; the note should guide your family to the official route, not give anyone who finds it immediate access. Date the note so readers know how current it is.

Store the note and the secrets separately

Keep the emergency note with your will or important documents, or lodge it with a lawyer you trust. If you decide that a recovery phrase for a self-custody wallet must be passed on, store it separately, for example in a sealed envelope in a secure location, and tell your trusted person how to find it only through the note. Splitting the information this way means that losing one document does not expose your funds. Review the arrangement whenever your circumstances change, such as a new marriage or moving house.

Prepare your family for the official process

Tell your trusted person that each exchange has an official channel for these situations, reachable through the help centre or in-app support, and that the process can take time while documents are reviewed. Warn them clearly that anyone who contacts them offering to unlock accounts for a fee, or asking for passwords or recovery phrases, is almost certainly a scammer. Update the note at least once a year, removing exchanges you no longer use and adding new ones, so that the information they inherit is accurate.

Risk boundary: Nigeria Crypto Guide

Digital assets are volatile and derivatives can amplify losses. This website has no login, wallet connection, deposit form or customer-support chat. A referral link only records attribution; it does not guarantee access, pricing, rewards, approval or investment results. Availability can differ by residence, legal entity and product, so no regional access is assumed from language or branding alone.

Scenario checkpoint

• Choose one or two trusted people and tell them the accounts exist and which platforms you use.
• List each exchange with its linked email and phone number in a dated emergency access note.
• Leave passwords, backup codes and recovery phrases out of the note and store any phrase separately.
• Keep the note with your will or a trusted lawyer and review it whenever your circumstances change.
• Warn your family that paid recovery offers are scams and that exchanges use official support channels.