Business

CBN gives PoS operators one month to use aggregators

Published

7 months ago

September 13, 2024

OCHEFA

The Central Bank of Nigeria has directed that all Point of Sale operators (POS) must route transactions through licensed payment terminal service aggregators.

A circular posted on the CBN’s website on Thursday stated that the move was aimed at enhancing the tracking and management of electronic transactions in the country.

“As part of efforts to mitigate the concerns regarding channelling all Point of Sale transactions through a single aggregator, the CBN on April 19, 2024, granted a second PTSA licence to Unified Payment Services Limited.

“In furtherance of the above, the CBN hereby directs as follows: 1 Acquirers are henceforth required to route all transactions from PoS terminals at merchant and agent locations, whether on physical or electronic PoS terminals, through any CBN-licensed Payment Terminal Service Aggregator PTSAs are required to send PoS transactions to only Processors certified by the relevant Payment Scheme, nominated by the Acquirer and licensed by CBN,” the apex bank noted.

It noted that the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System Plc was granted a PTSA licence in 2011 to handle the aggregation of PoS transactions.

However, to address concerns about routing all transactions through one aggregator, the CBN granted a second PTSA licence to Unified Payment Services Limited earlier this year in April.

“To achieve the objectiveof tracking electronic transactions in Nigeria, the Central Bank of Nigeria in August 2011, granted a Payment Terminal Service Aggregator licence to Nigeria Interbank Settlement System Plc.

As part of efforts to mitigate the concerns regarding channelling all Point of Sale transactions through a single aggregator, the CBN on April 19, 2024, granted a second PTSA licence to Unified Payment Services Limited.
The CBN has instructed that all acquirers, the institutions responsible for processing payments from PoS terminals, must channel transactions through any of the two licensed aggregators.In addition, licensed processors are required to integrate with both PTSAs to give acquirers the flexibility to choose their preferred service providers.

It noted that payment terminal service providers, responsible for deploying and managing PoS terminals, must ensure their devices and applications are configured to work with any PTSA chosen by the acquirers.

According to the CBN, PTSPs are also required to submit monthly reports to the CBN, detailing the number of merchants and agents they manage, as well as the PTSA services used.

Similarly, the CBN has mandated that each PTSA submit monthly reports of all transactions processed through their platforms.

The apex bank ordered that the reports must be submitted to the director of the Payments System Management Department within seven days after the end of each month.

The CBN urged all PSPs to regularise their operations with the PTSAs within 30 days, warning that non-compliance with the directive would attract appropriate sanctions.

Business

Reps pass bill to give foreign investors Nigerian citizenship

The proposed legislation titled , “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to include Citizenship by Investment as one of the classes of Citizenship in Nigeria, provide for the Acquisition of Nigerian Citizenship by Qualified Foreign Investors who meet Specified Investment Thresholds and for Related Matters (HB. 2059)” was sponsored by the, Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker and some other lawmakers.

Published

20 hours ago

March 27, 2025

OhiBaba

The House of Representatives has passed a bill to give foreign investors Nigerian Citizenship for second reading.

Business Day reports that the bill Is among the constitutional amendment bills which the Green Chamber is considering.

In the explanatory memorandum of the Citizenship by Investment Bill, it seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Cap C23 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 to introduce a new class of citizenship known as Citizenship by Investment.

The proposed alteration aims to attract foreign direct investment by granting Nigerian citizenship to individuals who invest in the Nigerian economy above a specified financial threshold or in strategic sectors critical to national development.

Business

FG Directs MAN, NECA, FRCN to Review 10% Financial Reporting Levy

Oduwole said the timeline for the suspension would not exceed 60 days, adding that the government is committed to addressing the concerns raised by the private sector.

Published

22 hours ago

March 27, 2025

OCHEFA

The Federal Government has temporarily suspended the implementation of 10 percent financial reporting levy imposed on public interest enterprises by the Financial Reporting Council, for the next two months.

This was in response to the requests by the private sector’s operators – the like of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (NECA) calling for the suspension of the FRCN Act, which imposes on non-listed entities. a 10 percent penalty on unpaid dues for every month of default, accumulating until full payment.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, announced the government’s decision at a Ministerial Consultative Meeting on the Financial Reporting Council Annual Dues for Public Interest Enterprises, yesterday in Abuja.

Oduwole emphasized that the government directed the Financial Reporting Council to pause in the implementation of the new annual dues.

She explained: ” A suspension request by the organised private sector would be in contravention of legislation duly passed by the National Assembly.

A pause is an administrative process simply to review, in line with what we discussed .

”Oduwole said the timeline for the suspension would not exceed 60 days, adding that the government is committed to addressing the concerns raised by the private secto

“We are a listening administration. The private sector has requested a range from three months to an indefinite suspension. We are not going to do that. So, at the most, 60 days is in my estimate.

“We are going to set up a technical working group comprising the FRC and the organised private sector who have formally written in, and this will be reviewed,’ she added.

Business

Police Investigates over N270m Thefts in UBA

CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the command’s public relations officer, disclosed that the suspects conspired to illegally divert funds from domiciliary accounts into personal accounts before redistributing them to multiple destinations.

Published

3 days ago

March 25, 2025

OCHEFA

The Lagos State Police Command is questioning four officials of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) for alleged thefts of £138,924 (over N270 million) from international airlines’ accounts.

The fraud was uncovered when the bank detected unauthorized transactions and alerted the police.

The arrested officials include Shuaib Oluwatobiloba Olaleye, 27, who was arrested on March 12, 2025, in Ogun State, with a Toyota Camry 2012/2013 recovered from him. Oladunjoye Adegoke, 33, was arrested on March 13, 2025, in Victoria Island, Lagos, with a Toyota Camry (Pencil Light) recovered.

Austin Alfred, 38, Supervisor of the bank’s Trade Services Department, and Jude Uzobuaku, 36, a processor in the same department, were also arrested for facilitating the illegal transfer of funds to foreign accounts.

Police investigations revealed that the stolen funds were initially funneled into an account belonging to one of the suspects before being distributed to multiple other accounts to evade detection. Authorities are now working to identify additional accomplices and recover the remaining funds.

The suspects are in custody and will face prosecution as the investigation continues.

The police have urged the public to report suspicious financial transactions, reiterating their commitment to tackling economic crimes.