ATM transactions rise 208% to N89trn
By Elizabeth Adegbesan
Automated Teller Machine (ATM) transactions surged by 208.4 percent year-on-year, reaching N89.12 trillion in 2025, up from N29.12 trillion in 2024. This notable increase reflects shifting user preferences, the growing adoption of digital platforms, the expansion of e-commerce, and enhancements in infrastructure, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in its 2025 Annual Report.
In analyzing retail payment trends, the CBN reported a 2.62 percent rise in the volume of e-payment transactions, totaling 47.88 billion in 2025, compared to 46.65 billion in the previous year. The value of these transactions also saw a significant increase, rising 26.07 percent to N4,360.33 trillion, up from N3,458.77 trillion.
The report indicates that ATMs experienced the most substantial growth in transaction volume, climbing 61.94 percent to 1.66 billion transactions. This was followed by a 20.89 percent increase in Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) transactions, amounting to 669.55 million, and a 19.78 percent rise in Point of Sale (PoS) transactions, which reached 15.66 billion.
Conversely, the report notes decreases in transaction volumes via mobile apps, internet/web platforms, and direct debits.
Despite the overall growth in e-payment transactions, the CBN highlighted several risks within the payment system in 2025, including systemic threats, the dominance of a few systemically important payment service (SIPS) providers, as well as concerns regarding fraud, cyber threats, and the activities of unlicensed entities.
