Policy & Privacy
UBIN v3.3 — Private Trust Registry for Student Businesses
1. Verification Model
UBIN operates as a private trust registry, not a government business registry. It does not replace CAC (Corporate Affairs Commission) registration. UBIN answers: "Can this person and this business be verified within a university ecosystem?"
Trust is decomposed into four independent verification claims rather than a binary verified/unverified toggle. This eliminates pass/fail bottlenecks and prevents identity fraud by requiring multiple independent proofs.
2. Four Verification Badges
Each badge is evaluated independently and displayed publicly on the business profile:
| Badge | Scope & Evaluation Method | Public Display |
|---|---|---|
| Identity Verified | Validates applicant is a real person via KYC reference tokens (NIN) or reference checks | IDENTITY VERIFIED |
| Institution Verified | Confirms active university association via student ID, portal evidence, or course registration | INSTITUTION VERIFIED |
| Business Evidence Verified | Audits proof of work: physical inventory, workspace tools, service delivery media | BUSINESS EVIDENCE VERIFIED |
| Payment Identity Match | Automated NUBAN name matching between bank account and verified legal identity | PAYMENT IDENTITY MATCH |
3. Identifier Architecture
Canonical Format
UBIN-ABUD-2026-7K4P-C
| Segment | Length | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prefix | 4 | Alpha | Fixed system brand | UBIN |
| Institution Code | 4 | Alpha | Unique university code | ABUD |
| Registration Year | 4 | Numeric | Calendar year (YYYY) | 2026 |
| Random Code | 4 | Base32 | Cryptographic random | 7K4P |
| Check Digit | 1 | Alphanumeric | Modulo-36 checksum | C |
Security
- Raw unhyphenated strings stored in database (e.g.,
UBINABUD20267K4PC) - Input sanitization strips hyphens/whitespace on lookup
- Cryptographic Base32 prevents enumeration and forgery
- Dynamic signed QR tokens for physical display
4. Data Privacy & Field Boundaries
UBIN follows privacy-by-design. Public lookup displays only what's necessary for trust verification.
| Data Field | Public Lookup | Internal Admin |
|---|---|---|
| Business Name & Category | Full | Full |
| UBIN Code | Full | Full |
| Institution & Campus | Full | Full |
| Founder Legal Name | Masked (David.) | Full |
| Residential Location | General Zone | Block & Room |
| National ID (NIN) | Hidden | Encrypted Token |
| NUBAN Bank Details | Match Status Only | Full Match Details |
5. Website Analytics & Logs
Like most websites, we automatically collect limited technical information about visits so we can keep the service secure, stable, and improve how UBIN works. This includes the pages you visit, your browser and device type, the site you came from, and the time of your visit.
We hash (scramble) IP addresses before storing them, so we do not retain your raw IP address for targeting. We do not use advertising trackers, and we do not share or sell visitor data — the company behind UBIN treats applicant and visitor privacy as a core rule. Collected activity data is used only for security, internal analytics and improving the registry.
- What we store: page visited, hashed IP, browser / OS / device type, referring site, timestamps, and aggregate usage of the public registry.
- What we do not store: raw IP addresses, precise location, or any browsing history outside UBIN.
- Retention: activity summaries are kept for operational reporting; identifying details are kept only as long as needed for security.
- Third parties: no advertising networks, analytics platforms, or data brokers receive visitor records.
6. Lifecycle & Expiry
- 12-month validity: Every UBIN expires 365 days from issuance
- Automated renewal: Prompts via WhatsApp/Email 30 days before expiration
- Expiry status: Unrenewed UBINs transition to
EXPIRED— publicly visible - Re-verification: Renewal requires light-touch re-check (identity + payment match)
7. Public Reputation Wording
Public profiles replace subjective complaint counts with objective indicators:
- Active Status in Good Standing — verified, current, no unresolved reports
- No Unresolved Reports — clean complaint history
- Expired — certification lapsed, renewal required
- Revoked / Suspended — trust breach, see reason
8. Terms of Use
For Applicants
- Information provided must be accurate and current
- False representation results in permanent blacklist
- UBIN certification is non-transferable
- Annual renewal required to maintain verified status
For Verifiers (Public)
- UBIN status reflects verification at time of check
- UBIN does not guarantee business quality or transaction safety
- Report suspected fraud via Complaints channel
Limitations
- UBIN is not a government license or CAC substitute
- Verification covers identity/affiliation, not business competence
- System availability not guaranteed; no SLA