Central bank reports major growth in ATM activity, e-payments and retail transactions despite rising cyber and fraud risks…..
The value of transactions carried out through Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in Nigeria rose by 208.4 per cent year-on-year to N89.12 trillion in 2025, up from N29.12 trillion recorded in 2024, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The apex bank disclosed this in its 2025 Annual Report, attributing the significant increase in ATM transaction value to changing consumer preferences, wider adoption of digital payment channels, the expansion of e-commerce and improvements in payment infrastructure.
Reviewing developments in the retail payments sector, the CBN also reported continued growth in electronic payment activities during the year.
The total volume of e-payment transactions increased by 2.62 per cent to 47.88 billion transactions in 2025, compared with 46.65 billion transactions in 2024.
Similarly, the total value of electronic payments climbed by 26.07 per cent to N4,360.33 trillion, from N3,458.77 trillion recorded in the previous year.
The report showed that ATMs recorded the highest growth among major payment channels by transaction volume, rising by 61.94 per cent to 1.66 billion transactions.
This was followed by transactions conducted through the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) channel, which increased by 20.89 per cent to 669.55 million, while Point of Sale (PoS) transactions grew by 19.78 per cent to 15.66 billion.
However, the CBN noted that transaction volumes declined across some channels, including mobile applications, internet/web platforms and direct debit services.
Despite the expansion of electronic payments, the regulator warned that the sector continued to face emerging challenges, including concentration risks linked to the dominance of a few systemically important payment service providers.
The CBN also identified losses arising from payment fraud, cyber threats and the activities of unlicensed operators as key risks that could affect the stability and security of Nigeria’s payment ecosystem.
The apex bank said continued monitoring, stronger safeguards and improved regulatory measures would remain necessary to support the growth of digital payments while protecting users and maintaining confidence in the financial system.
