The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed all financial institutions, acquirers, and payment service providers to implement mandatory dual connectivity for Point of Sale (PoS) transactions within one month.
The circular, signed by Rakiya Yusuf, Director of the Payments System Supervision Department, and dated December 11, 2025, updates a policy first introduced in September 2024.
The move aims to address frequent PoS downtime caused by reliance on a single transaction channel. Under the new directive, 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).
The CBN said the dual connectivity requirement is intended to reduce dependence on any single aggregator and strengthen the country’s payment infrastructure. To ensure compliance, the apex bank has mandated periodic redundancy and failover tests, with NIBSS and UPSL required to work with regulated institutions to confirm that systems can support uninterrupted service. Test results will form part of CBN’s ongoing oversight.
The circular also introduces stricter reporting obligations. NIBSS and UPSL must immediately notify banks 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.
