Business

CBN Bans Banks From Operating PoS, Approves 17 Companies as Mobile Money, Operators In Nigeria

Published

3 years ago

March 21, 2023

Due to the recent hiccups experienced by bank customers and their inability to use mobile apps and other digital touchpoints, Nigerians have begun the search for alternatives as fintech firms have taken over the ecosystem and provided better experiences.

These licensed mobile operators have provided relief to many Nigerians at the time of unprecedented transaction failures.

The mobile money operators offer incentives such as zero transfer charges and daily rewards to customers.

Many customers on these platforms are concerned about the legality of the platforms and wonder if they are authorised or licensed to operate in Nigeria.

The worries have prompted the apex bank to draw up a list of authorised operators in the financial ecosystem.

The development comes as the CBN barred bank agents from offering PoS services.

CBN releases guidelines for PoS operations

CBN released the regulatory framework for agent banking operations, which includes several restrictions to mitigate risks in the financial sector.

The guideline was announced in a circular titled Exposure Draft of the Regulatory Framework for Agent Banking in Nigeria, signed by Musa I. Jimoh, the director of the Payments System Management Department.

In the 31-page document, the CBN dedicated Section 8.3 to outline prohibited activities for agents.

Vanguard reports that one of the key restrictions in the guideline is that agents must not use the purchase option on PoS terminals for cash-in and cash-out transactions.

The CBN has also warned agents against transactions where a receipt or acknowledgment cannot be generated. In addition to the abovementioned restrictions, the circular prohibits agents from conducting transactions in foreign currency. Agent banking is a financial inclusion service that aims to extend the reach of retail banking services to all segments of the population, especially residents of rural areas.

The service providers include First Monie, EcoBank Express, UBA Moni, Zenith Mobile Money, and others.

The CBN has observed that the agent banking initiative has led to the proliferation of financial service agents across Nigeria.

Reports say a significant and growing portion of financial transactions is now conducted through agents.

Approved mobile money operators

Abeg Technologies Limited

Chams Mobile Limited

eTranzact International Limited

Fortis Mobile Money Limited

Funds And Electronic Transfer (FETS)

Limited Hedonmark Management Services Limited

Pagatech Limited

Palmpay Limited

Parkway Projects Limited

Teasy International Company Limited

Nanonow Digital Services Limited

VTNetwork Limited

Xpress MTS Limited

Kongapay Technologies Limited

Visual ICT Limited

Business

Naira Records Second Consecutive Depreciation Against US Dollar

Published

4 days ago

November 12, 2025

Editor

The Naira recorded its second consecutive depreciation against the United States dollar at the foreign exchange market on Tuesday to continue the bearish trend this week.

The Central Bank of Nigeria’s data showed that the Naira further weakened on Tuesday to N1,438.71 against the dollar, down from N1,437.2933 exchanged on Monday.

This means that the Naira again dropped by N1.42 against the dollar on Tuesday on a day-to-day basis.

At the black market, the Naira remained flat at N1465 per dollar on Tuesday, the same rate traded on Monday.

This is the second consecutive decline of Nigerian currency at the official market since the commencement of this week.

Meanwhile, the country’s external reserves had continued to rise, standing at $43.37 billion as of Monday, 10th November 2025, up from $43.35 billion on November 7.

Business

Tinubu Approves 15% Import Duty On Petrol, Diesel

Published

2 weeks ago

October 30, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has approved a 15 percent ad-valorem import duty on diesel and premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol.

This was announced in a letter dated October 21, 2025, where the private secretary to the president, Damilotun Aderemi, conveyed Tinubu’s approval to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

Tinubu gave his approval, following a request by the FIRS to apply the 15 percent duty on the cost, insurance and freight (CIF) to align import costs to domestic realities.

With the approval, the implementation of the import duty will increase a litre of petrol by an estimated N99.72 kobo.

The latest development has led to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) announcing that it has begun a detailed review of the country’s three petroleum refineries, with a view to bringing them back online.

NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Bayo Ojulari, made the announcement in a post on his official X handle on Wednesday night.

According to Ojulari, one of the options being explored by the NNPCL is to search for technical equity partners to ‘high-grade or repurpose’ the facilities.

Tagged: “Update on Our Refineries”, Ojulari said: “The NNPCL continues to remain optimistic that the refineries will operate efficiently, despite current setbacks.”

It can be recalled that despite spending about $3 billion on revamping the refineries, only the 60,000 barrels per day portion of the facility worked skeletally for just a few months before packing up.

The Warri refinery has remained ineffective weeks after it was gleefully announced to have returned to production, while the one situated in Kaduna State never took off at all.

Business

NNPCL Raises Fuel Price

Published

1 month ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has increased the pump price of petrol from ₦865 to ₦992 per litre, marking a fresh hike that has sparked widespread concern among motorists and consumers .

As of the time of filing this report, the company has not released any official statement explaining the reason for the sudden adjustment.

During visits to several NNPC retail outlets, The Nation observed fuel attendants recalibrating their pumps to reflect the new price.

At NNPC filling station on Ogunusi road, Ojodu Berger, petrol attendants at the station said they were instructed to change the price to reflect the new rate N992 per litre.

However, checks at Ibafo along the Lagos /Ibadan expressway showed that NNPC outlets still displayed the old price of N875 per litre, although they were not selling to commuters.

Most of the NNPC stations were not dispensing fuel.