CBN Mandates Dual Links for PoS

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has instructed all financial institutions, acquirers, and payment service providers to implement mandatory dual connectivity for Point of Sale (PoS) transactions within the next month.

The directive, issued in a circular dated December 11, 2025, and signed by Rakiya Yusuf, Director of the Payments System Supervision Department, updates a policy first introduced in September 2024.

“It seeks to tackle frequent PoS downtimes caused by dependence on a single transaction channel,” the circular explained.

Under the new rule, all acquirers, processors, and payment terminal service providers must maintain active connections with both the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) and Unified Payment Services Limited (UPSL).

CBN (News Central TV)

The dual connectivity requirement aims to reduce reliance on a single aggregator and stabilise Nigeria’s payment infrastructure. To ensure compliance, the CBN has mandated regular redundancy and failover tests.

NIBSS and UPSL must collaborate with regulated institutions to verify that systems can sustain uninterrupted service, with test results submitted as part of the central bank’s ongoing oversight.

The circular also introduces stricter reporting obligations. NIBSS and UPSL are required to inform banks immediately of any downtime and provide a detailed incident report to the Payments System Supervision Department within 24 hours, outlining the cause, impact, and corrective measures taken.

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Toyibat Ajose

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