Banking
CBN Limits PoS Agents’ Daily Transactions to N1.2m, Customers to N100,000
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has introduced new operational guidelines for agent banking across the country, limiting daily cumulative transactions per agent to N1.2 million and individual transactions at N100,000 per customer.
The revised framework, released on Monday, also mandates all financial institutions to submit monthly reports on the activities of their Point-of-Sale agents to enhance oversight and service quality.
The circular (PSP/DIR/CON/CWO/001/049), signed by the Director of the Payments System Management Department, Mr Musa Jimoh, aims to strengthen financial stability, promote inclusion, and protect consumers.
The circular, addressed to all deposit money banks, other financial institutions, and payment service providers, takes immediate effect, while provisions on agent location and exclusivity will become effective from April 1, 2026.
“The Central Bank of Nigeria, in furtherance of its mandate for the stability of the financial system and pursuant to its role in deepening the financial system, hereby issues the Guidelines for the Operations of Agent Banking in Nigeria.
“The guidelines aim to establish minimum standards for operating agent banking in Nigeria, enhancing agent banking to provide financial services and promoting financial inclusion, encouraging responsible market conduct and improving service quality in Agent Banking operations.
“This circular takes effect from the date of release, while the implementation of agent location and agent exclusivity shall be with effect from April 1, 2026.
“All stakeholders are required to ensure strict compliance with the Guidelines and all other regulations, as the CBN continues to monitor developments and issue guidance as may be appropriate.”
The apex bank also directed that all agent banking transactions must be conducted through a dedicated account or wallet maintained by the principal financial institution to ensure transparency and better oversight.
The CBN warned that using non-designated accounts for agent operations would constitute a regulatory violation and attract sanctions with agents found guilty of misconduct, fraud, or related offences will be held personally liable and may be placed on industry watchlists or have their agreements terminated.
Principals, which are financial institutions, are now required to publish and regularly update the list of all their agents on their official websites and display them within their branches.
Super agents must have at least 50 agents distributed across the six geopolitical zones to ensure wider coverage and access to financial services in underserved areas.
The guidelines also stipulate that no agent can relocate, transfer, or close its banking premises without prior written approval from its principal or super agent.
The CBN also noted that a relocation notice must be displayed prominently at the business premises for at least 30 days to notify customers.
All agent transactions must now be conducted in real time using a secure, interoperable payment infrastructure while financial institutions are mandated to deploy technologies that enable instant settlements and immediate reversals in the event of system failure.
Transaction receipts must include the agent’s name and geographical coordinates, while audit trails and settlement records are to be preserved for at least five years to support regulatory oversight.
Although the new framework pegs the daily cumulative cash-out limit at N1.2 million per agent, the apex bank reserves the right to review the limit in line with the CBN Guide to Charges for Banks and Other Financial Institutions.
“POS agents are restricted to a maximum of N1.2 million per day. Individual customers are limited to N100,000 in daily transactions.
“These limits are intended to curb misuse, enhance financial integrity, and protect consumers within the agent banking framework,” it stated.
Additionally, all devices deployed for agent banking must be geo-fenced or tagged to operate strictly within the registered location to prevent unauthorised mobile use.
Financial institutions are required to submit monthly returns to the CBN, detailing transaction volumes and values, incidents of fraud, the number of active agents, customer complaints, and training conducted, among other indicators.
“The monthly reports must include comprehensive data on the nature, value, and volume of transactions conducted by agents. Submissions are to be made no later than the 10th day of the following month,” it added.
The apex bank warned that it reserves the right to demand additional information, carry out inspections, or exercise direct supervisory powers over any agent or financial institution at any time.
Institutions that violate the guidelines risk administrative sanctions, suspension from onboarding new agents, blacklisting, removal of management officials, or licence revocation.
“The CBN may, in the event of a breach, invoke any or all sanctions against any defaulting participant in the agent banking system,” the circular read.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
An initiative known as Nigeria Lightning Rounds, designed to expand funding opportunities for Nigerian startups and small businesses by connecting founders with local and international investors, has been launched by ProvidusUnity Bank, in partnership with US-based global venture firm and accelerator, gener8tor.
Scheduled to be held on July 15, 2026, Nigeria Lightning Rounds will feature carefully selected startups engaging with targeted investors who have expressed interest in supporting Nigerian innovation.
Participating founders will have the opportunity to pitch their businesses through focused 15-minute virtual sessions facilitated by gener8tor and ProvidusUnity Bank’s networks.
The program will focus on high-growth sectors including fintech, healthtech, manufacturing, sustainability, and AI, but welcomes SMEs from all industries, with intending participants urged to apply via https://www.gener8tor.com/lightning-rounds/nigeria.
“We recognise that access to capital remains one of the biggest challenges facing entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Through our partnership with gener8tor, we are creating a platform that connects promising Nigerian founders with investors who can provide the support required to scale their businesses,” the Head of Business Development at ProvidusUnity Bank, Mr Ernest Elue, stated.
“The partnership reinforces ProvidusUnity Bank’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by supporting innovation, enabling access to opportunities, and creating pathways for businesses with high-growth potential,” he added.
Also commenting, the Director of Lightning Rounds at gener8tor, Ms Elizabeth Larios, said, “gener8tor is thrilled to partner with ProvidusUnity Bank to extend the Lightning Rounds model into Nigeria.
“This collaboration reflects our commitment to building equitable ecosystems and driving capital to the most promising and underrepresented entrepreneurs.”
Lightning Rounds are a signature initiative of gener8tor’s investment platform, which has facilitated thousands of investor-startup meetings globally. The format is optimised to eliminate friction, reduce bias in early-stage fundraising, and help founders secure capital from investors aligned with their mission and stage. gener8tor’s previous Lightning Rounds for Nigerian Founders in 2025 featured 18 participating Investors and led to 50 investment meetings facilitated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The verification of the depositors of the 46 microfinance banks, whose operating licenses were revoked by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over a week ago, has commenced.
The exercise, aimed at refunding those whose funds were trapped in the small lenders, is being conducted by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).
In a statement on Thursday, the agency said its staff members have been positioned at the offices of the affected banks across the country to attend to depositors.
It was disclosed that depositors of the defunct banks, who had their Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) linked to their accounts in the failed banks, will be paid through their alternative accounts in existing banks.
However, depositors whose BVNs were not linked to their accounts in the failed banks have been encouraged to visit the affected banks’ offices with proof of account ownership, a passport photograph, verifiable means of identification (Driver’s Licence, Permanent Voter’s Card, International Passport or National ID Card) and BVN.
NDIC also stated that depositors can alternatively file their claims online through its website: www.ndic.gov.ng, to complete the Pre-Verification Claims Form by clicking on the Search Bar, and typing Pre-Verification Claims Form; opening the Form and filling in their details. They can also do so by clicking the link: https://ndic.gov.ng/ndic-pre-verification-claims-form/ or by visiting any of the NDIC offices closest to them to file their claims.
For further enquiries, the corporation can be reached on any of the following lines: 09037273810, 09038197064, 08104220807, 09064657140.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s Bank Verification Number (BVN) enrolment has slowed significantly in 2026 following the introduction of a stricter regulatory framework by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), with the latest data from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) showing that registrations are on course to fall well below last year’s record.
The BVN database stood at 69.55 million as of July 5, 2026, up from 69.32 million in June, indicating that only 228,947 new registrations were recorded over the period. Since the end of 2025, when the database stood at 67.8 million, total enrolments have increased by 1.75 million.
At the current pace, however, BVN registrations are unlikely to match the 4.3 million new enrolments recorded in 2025, suggesting a sharp deceleration in growth this year.
The slowdown comes after the CBN introduced a revised BVN regulatory framework in March, with the new rules taking effect on May 1, 2026. The framework tightened controls around enrolment, identity verification and fraud monitoring as part of efforts to strengthen the integrity of the banking system.
Among the key changes was the introduction of a minimum enrolment age of 18 years, effectively preventing minors from registering for a BVN.
The new framework also limits customers to a one-time change of the phone number linked to their BVN and requires financial institutions to place BVNs linked to suspected fraudulent transactions on a temporary watch-list for up to 24 hours while investigations are carried out.
The stricter rules contrast with last year’s surge in registrations, which was largely driven by the introduction of the Non-Resident Bank Verification Number (NRBVN) initiative that enabled Nigerians in the diaspora to complete BVN enrolment remotely, removing physical barriers and expanding access to the financial system.
Launched on February 14, 2014, the BVN scheme was introduced by the CBN in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee, NIBSS and German technology firm Dermalog to assign every bank customer a unique biometric identity that can be verified across Nigeria’s banking industry.
