In a sweeping move aimed at sanitising Nigeria’s financial ecosystem, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has ordered that all Point of Sale (PoS) terminals across the country be geo-tagged within the next 60 days.
The directive, contained in a circular dated August 26, 2025, and obtained by our correspondent, marks a decisive step in the apex bank’s efforts to curb fraud, modernise the nation’s payment system, and strengthen oversight of digital transactions.
According to the CBN, the geo-tagging initiative is designed to guarantee that all PoS terminals are fully traceable, with each transaction anchored to a verified location. The apex bank noted that terminals operating outside their registered address would be instantly flagged, while non-compliant devices risk deactivation.
> “This initiative is designed to eliminate ghost terminals, cloned devices, and unauthorised transaction points. By leveraging advanced geolocation technology, we are ensuring that PoS operations are secure, transparent, and accountable,” the CBN stated.
As part of the new framework, newly deployed PoS machines must be equipped with native geolocation features and dual-frequency GPS receivers for accurate monitoring. Each transaction will now be accompanied by a precise location capture, with any activity conducted more than 10 meters outside a merchant’s registered address automatically red-flagged.
The apex bank has set October 20, 2025, as the compliance deadline, after which untagged or unregistered PoS terminals will be barred from the financial network.
Industry stakeholders—including commercial banks, fintech operators, and licensed payment aggregators such as Moniepoint, OPay, and PalmPay—are mandated to register every terminal with exact merchant coordinates. The CBN further stressed that compliance is not optional, as the reforms are integral to Nigeria’s broader digital transformation agenda.
Financial analysts have welcomed the policy as a long-overdue measure to restore confidence in electronic transactions, protect consumers, and stem the rising tide of cyber-enabled fraud. However, they also caution that small-scale operators may face initial compliance hurdles, requiring strong collaboration between regulators, fintechs, and merchants.
With Nigeria’s digital payment ecosystem valued at billions of dollars annually, the geo-tagging mandate is expected to be a game-changer—ushering in a new era of accountability, transparency, and security in one of Africa’s fastest-growing fintech markets.
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