CBN debit card policy aims to align card issuance with ATM capacity and fix Nigeria’s persistent cash access problems

The Central Bank of Nigeria has announced plans to roll out a new regulatory framework designed to sanitise debit card issuance and improve ATM operations across Nigerian banks.

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

The initiative, according to the apex bank, is aimed at tackling Nigeria’s long standing cash access challenges.

Under the proposed CBN debit card policy, banks will be required to ensure that the volume of debit cards they issue is aligned with the capacity of their deployed ATM infrastructure.

The measure is expected to ease congestion at ATM points, reduce frequent downtime and promote more even cash availability nationwide.

The Central Bank noted that recurring ATM failures and cash shortages have continued to erode public trust in electronic payment channels, despite the rapid growth of digital transactions within the banking sector.

It warned that unresolved cash access issues pose a serious threat to confidence in the payment system.

“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 consultations with industry stakeholders are already underway, noting that the CBN debit card policy could take effect within the next few months, possibly before the end of the second quarter of 2026.

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The move is widely seen as a decisive step that could strengthen ATM reliability, improve cash distribution and restore confidence in Nigeria’s electronic payment ecosystem, offering much needed relief to bank customers across the country.