The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has rolled out a sweeping directive that will see all Point of Sale (PoS) terminals across the country geo-tagged within the next 60 days, in what it describes as a decisive step to curb fraud and strengthen oversight of digital payments.
In a statement issued on August 26, 2025, the apex bank explained that the move is part of a broader strategy to modernise Nigeria’s payment system, protect consumers, and ensure that digital transactions remain secure and fully traceable.
“This initiative is designed to make all PoS terminals traceable and to guarantee the safety of transactions. Terminals operating outside their registered location will be flagged, while non-compliant devices will be deactivated,” the bank said.
Under the new rules, each device must capture and transmit its location at the start of every transaction, with activities conducted beyond a 10-meter radius of the registered merchant address automatically flagged.
Newly deployed PoS machines will also be fitted with built-in geolocation features and dual-frequency GPS receivers for precise tracking.
The CBN has set an October 20, 2025, deadline, after which any device failing to comply will be shut down.
According to the apex bank, the reform will eliminate cloned or “ghost” terminals and enable regulators to monitor transactions in real time.
Licensed operators including major banks and leading fintech companies such as Moniepoint, OPay, and PalmPay are required to register every terminal with a payment aggregator and provide accurate merchant coordinates.
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