The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has mandated that all Point of Sale (PoS) terminals across the country be geo-tagged within 60 days, as part of efforts to combat fraud and enhance regulatory oversight of digital payment systems.
According to a statement dated August 26, 2025, obtained by our correspondent, the CBN stated: “This initiative aims to make all PoS terminals traceable and ensure the security of transactions. Any terminal operating outside its registered location will be flagged, and non-compliant devices will be deactivated.”
Under the new directive, both existing and newly deployed PoS terminals must be equipped with native geolocation capabilities and dual-frequency GPS receivers to allow for precise tracking. Devices that fail to meet the requirements by the October 20, 2025 deadline will be barred from operation.
The CBN explained that the policy is intended to eliminate the use of cloned or unregistered terminals and facilitate real-time transaction monitoring.
Each terminal will be required to capture and transmit its location at the beginning of every transaction. Any activity detected more than 10 meters from the registered merchant address will automatically trigger an alert.
Licensed operators—including commercial banks and fintech firms such as Moniepoint, OPay, and PalmPay—must register every terminal through a payment aggregator and submit accurate merchant location data.
The central bank emphasized that this move is part of a wider strategy to modernize Nigeria’s payment infrastructure, enhance consumer protection, and ensure the integrity and traceability of digital financial transactions.
