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CBN shifts digital economy agenda despite implementation hurdles

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As Nigeria’s journey towards a cashless economy gains momentum, the central bank has continued to unveil a sweeping set of reforms aimed at reshaping the structure of the country’s fast-growing digital payments ecosystem.

The recent one is the introduction of market structure requirements, data localisation, ultimate beneficial ownership disclosure and systemic oversight measures in the country’s payment system.

According to a circular signed by the Director, Payment System Supervision Department, Rakiya Yusuf, the policy is designed to strengthen financial stability, promote competition, and improve transparency.

However, it also raises concerns about compliance costs, operational adjustments, and potential market disruptions.

According to Sunnewsonline, Nigeria’s payments landscape has expanded rapidly over the past decade, but it has been driven by increased smartphone penetration, fintech innovation, and a shift away from cash-based transactions.

Mobile payments, agency banking, card transactions, and digital wallets have become central to everyday commerce. However, this growth has also created new regulatory challenges, including market concentration, fragmented oversight, and increasing dependence on a few dominant players within the ecosystem.

The apex bank argues that while innovation has been beneficial, unchecked expansion could pose systemic risks to financial stability and competition if not properly managed.

At the heart of the reforms is a stronger push for transparency in ownership structures. All deposit money banks, payment service providers, and financial institutions with significant digital payments footprints are now required to disclose their ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs). This measure is intended to ensure that the individuals or entities ultimately controlling financial institutions are clearly identified and subject to regulatory scrutiny.

The CBN’s concern is rooted in global regulatory standards that emphasise anti-money laundering (AML), combating the financing of terrorism (CFT), and preventing the concealment of illicit financial flows through complex corporate structures.

Hence, by mandating up-to-date disclosure of beneficial ownership, the regulator aims to reduce opacity in the financial system and enhance accountability. In practice, this could make it more difficult for shell companies or layered ownership structures to obscure control of payment firms.

Another major pillar of the new framework is data localisation. The CBN has mandated that all payment transaction data generated within Nigeria must be stored and managed within the country. The requirement is set to take full effect from January 1, 2027, giving operators a transition period to adjust their infrastructure and compliance systems.

This provision reflects a growing global trend among regulators seeking greater control over critical financial and consumer data. For Nigeria, the rationale is twofold: improving regulatory access to real-time data and strengthening national digital sovereignty. By ensuring that sensitive financial data remains within jurisdiction, the CBN believes it can enhance oversight capabilities, improve cybersecurity resilience, and reduce dependence on foreign-hosted infrastructure.

However, this policy direction is not without challenges. Many payment service providers currently rely on global cloud infrastructure providers for scalability, redundancy, and cost efficiency.

So, shifting to local data hosting may require significant capital investment in domestic data centres and supporting infrastructure. There are also concerns about whether local systems can currently match the reliability, scalability, and security standards of established global providers.

Perhaps the most far-reaching aspect of the circular is the introduction of market structure requirements designed to address concentration risk within the payments ecosystem. The CBN has observed that certain institutions have grown to occupy dominant positions in both consumer issuing and merchant acquiring segments of the market.

Under the new rules, any financial institution or group of related entities that controls more than 25 per cent of either consumer issuing or merchant acquiring activities will be restricted from holding more than 15 per cent in the other segment within the same period. The intention is to prevent excessive market dominance and reduce the risk of vertical integration that could stifle competition.

The apex bank has also introduced mandatory monthly reporting of market share data, requiring all affected institutions to submit detailed returns using prescribed templates. This will enable the CBN to continuously monitor concentration levels and intervene where necessary.

Industry analysts suggest that this aspect of the reform could significantly reshape competitive dynamics within Nigeria’s payments industry. Large banks and fintechs that currently operate across multiple layers of the payments value chain may be required to restructure their operations, divest certain business lines, or rethink strategic partnerships.

Supporters of the policy argue that it will encourage a more level playing field, particularly for smaller fintech firms that have struggled to compete against dominant incumbents. By preventing excessive concentration, the reforms could stimulate innovation, improve pricing efficiency, and expand consumer choice.

However, critics caution that the rules may introduce unintended consequences. Some fear that limiting scale could reduce the efficiencies that come with large integrated payment networks. Others argue that the restrictions may discourage investment in the sector, particularly from international players accustomed to less restrictive regulatory environments.

The compliance timeline reflects the scale of adjustment required. Financial institutions are expected to fully comply with market structure requirements by December 31, 2026, while data localisation obligations take effect from the beginning of 2027. This staggered approach appears designed to give operators time to adapt, though the transition period remains relatively tight given the structural changes required.