CBN Issues One-Month Deadline for Dual PoS Connectivity

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

This was issued in a circular signed by Rakiya Yusuf, Director of the Payments System Supervision Department, and dated December 11, 2025, updating a policy issued in September 2024.

According to the circular, the new policy aims to address frequent PoS downtime caused by reliance on a single transaction channel.

The statement reads, “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 stabilise 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.”

According to CBN, 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