CBN Mandates Dual Connectivity for PoS Terminals, Sets One-Month Deadline to End Transaction Failures

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued a significant directive mandating all key players in the Nigerian payments ecosystem to establish mandatory dual connectivity for Point-of-Sale (PoS) transactions, setting a strict compliance deadline of one month. This move is a critical step by the apex bank to reinforce the resilience of the nation’s payment infrastructure and eliminate the frequent transaction failures that have plagued the system.

The new policy, contained in a circular dated December 11, 2025, requires all acquirers, processors, and Payment Terminal Service Providers (PTSPs) to maintain active links with both the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) and Unified Payment Services Limited (UPSL).

The CBN explained that the directive is a continuation of its earlier policy aimed at preventing the entire PoS network from depending on a single routing channel, a vulnerability that has often led to operational breakdowns and lengthy service delays.

Key Technical Requirements

According to the circular, service providers must configure their PoS routing systems to allow for automatic failover. This means that in the event of downtime on one aggregator’s platform, transactions must seamlessly switch to the other aggregator, ensuring uninterrupted service for customers and merchants.

Furthermore, the CBN has introduced stricter accountability measures:

• Redundancy Testing: NIBSS and UPSL, in collaboration with regulated financial institutions, are required to conduct periodic tests to verify the effectiveness and stability of the redundancy measures.

• Real-time Reporting: Both aggregators must notify banks immediately in the event of a service disruption and submit a formal, detailed incident report to the Payments System Supervision Department within 24 hours.

The CBN stressed that full compliance with the one-month deadline is mandatory for all regulated financial institutions, describing the dual-connectivity framework as essential to promoting a more reliable and efficient PoS ecosystem across the country.