CBN to end ATM congestion, plans new debit card rules

The Central Bank of Nigeria has made public plans to introduce a new regulatory policy aimed at sanitising debit card issuance and ATM operations across Nigerian banks, in a bid to address persistent cash access challenges.

The announcement was made by CBN Governor Yemi Cardoso through his Special Adviser, Fatai Karim, at the 2026 Committee of Heads of Bank Operations Conference on Friday.

According to the apex bank, the policy will ensure that the number of cards issued by banks corresponds with their deployed ATM infrastructure, helping to reduce congestion, downtime, and uneven cash availability nationwide.

The CBN noted that recurring ATM failures and cash shortages continue to undermine public confidence in electronic payment channels, even as digital transactions grow rapidly 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 engaging industry stakeholders and expects the policy to take effect within months, possibly before the end of the second quarter of 2026.

The move is expected to enhance ATM reliability, improve cash distribution, and restore confidence in Nigeria’s electronic payment system, benefiting both banks and customers nationwide.