The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed all acquirers, processors and Payment Terminal Service Providers (PTSPs) to implement dual connectivity for point-of-sale (PoS) transactions within one month, in a move aimed at improving transaction reliability and minimising service interruptions.
The directive was contained in a circular dated December 11, 2025, and signed by Rakiya Yusuf, Director of the Payments System Supervision Department at the CBN.
According to the circular, all acquirers, processors and PTSPs are now required to establish and maintain active connections with the two licensed Payments Terminal Service Aggregators (PTSAs) — the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) and Unified Payment Services Limited (UPSL).
The apex bank explained that transaction routing systems must be fully integrated with both aggregators to guarantee uninterrupted processing. This, it said, would ensure automatic failover, allowing transactions to be seamlessly rerouted whenever one platform experiences downtime.
To strengthen the effectiveness of the redundancy framework, the CBN also mandated regular testing of the systems. It stated that NIBSS and UPSL, working with regulated financial institutions, must conduct periodic tests to confirm redundancy, assess failover performance and ensure overall system resilience.
In addition, the CBN directed both NIBSS and UPSL to promptly notify the regulator of any system disruptions. The circular requires the aggregators to report any downtime or service interruption to the Director of the Payments System Supervision Department within 24 hours, detailing the nature of the incident, its causes and the remedial actions taken.
The CBN stressed that all regulated financial institutions must comply with the directive within one month from the date of the circular, warning that adherence to the new requirement is mandatory.
