The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued an order requiring all financial institutions, acquirers, and payment service providers to implement mandatory dual connections for point-of-sale (PoS) transactions within one month.
Rakiya Yusuf, Director of the Payments System Supervision Department, signed the circular on December 11, 2025, which modifies a policy issued in September 2024.
“It aims to address frequent PoS downtime caused by reliance on a single transaction channel.
“Under the new rule, all acquirers, processors, and payment terminal service providers must maintain active links with both the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) and Unified Payment Services Limited (UPSL).
“This dual connectivity is intended to reduce dependence on any single aggregator and stabilize the country’s payment infrastructure.
“To ensure readiness, the apex bank has mandated periodic redundancy and failover tests. NIBSS and UPSL must work with regulated institutions to confirm that systems can support uninterrupted service, with results forming part of CBN’s ongoing oversight,” the statement read.
According to the apex bank, the circular introduces stricter reporting obligations.
“NIBSS and UPSL must notify banks immediately during any downtime and submit a detailed incident report to the Payments System Supervision Department within 24 hours, outlining the cause, impact, and corrective actions taken,” the statement added.
