CBN Announces New Policy to Tackle ATM Congestion and Card Issuance

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has unveiled plans for a new regulatory framework aimed at reducing ATM congestion and improving cash access by linking debit card issuance to banks’ ATM infrastructure.

CBN Governor Yemi Cardoso announced the initiative through his Special Adviser, Fatai Karim, at the 2026 Committee of Heads of Bank Operations Conference held on Friday.

The policy is designed to ensure that the volume of debit cards issued by commercial banks corresponds with the number of ATMs they deploy and maintain. According to the CBN, this measure will help address frequent machine downtime, long queues, and uneven cash availability nationwide.

Karim stated that persistent ATM failures and cash shortages have continued to weaken public trust in electronic payment channels, despite growth in digital transactions.

“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,” he said. “When cash access fails, whether due to prolonged ATM outages or uneven distribution, the credibility of the entire payment system is weakened.”

The CBN is currently in talks with industry stakeholders and expects the policy to take effect within the coming months, potentially before the end of the second quarter of 2026.

The move is anticipated to enhance the reliability of ATMs, improve cash distribution, and help restore confidence in Nigeria’s digital payment ecosystem.