The Central Bank of Nigeria says it will soon introduce a new regulatory policy to tighten debit card issuance and improve ATM operations across Nigerian banks, as part of efforts to address persistent cash access challenges.
The CBN Governor, Yemi Cardoso, disclosed this through his Special Adviser, Fatai Karim, at the 2026 Committee of Heads of Bank Operations Conference on Friday.
According to the apex bank, the planned policy will require banks to align the number of debit cards they issue with the capacity of their deployed ATM infrastructure, a move aimed at reducing congestion, frequent downtime and uneven cash availability nationwide.
The CBN noted that recurring ATM failures and cash shortages continue to erode public confidence in electronic payment channels, despite rapid growth in digital transactions across the banking sector.
“Very soon, the Central Bank will be coming up with another policy to sanitise and improve the situation, particularly around how many cards banks issue relative to the number of ATMs they support. When cash access fails, whether due to prolonged ATM outages or uneven distribution, the credibility of the entire payment system is weakened,” the bank said.
Karim added that the CBN is already engaging key industry stakeholders and expects the policy to take effect within months, possibly before the end of the second quarter of 2026.
The proposed rules are expected to improve ATM reliability, enhance cash distribution and help restore public confidence in Nigeria’s electronic payment system, benefiting both banks and customers nationwide.
