The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has announced major adjustments to its cash-handling policy, abolishing the ceiling on cash deposits and expanding the weekly withdrawal limit across all platforms to N500,000, a significant rise from the previous N100,000.
The bank has also revised its cash withdrawal rules, discontinuing the special authorisation previously permitting individuals to withdraw N5 million and corporates N10 million once monthly, effective January 2026.
The development was announced in a circular issued to financial institutions and titled “Revised Cash-Related Policies”, signed by Dr. Rita Sike, Director of the Financial Policy & Regulation Department.
In the document, the apex bank stated that its action aligns with efforts to curb the surging cost of managing physical cash, tackle security risks, and stem money-laundering vulnerabilities linked to Nigeria’s cash-driven economy.
Specifically, the apex bank explained in the circular that previous cash policies had been introduced over the years in response to evolving circumstances, noting that the need has arisen to streamline these provisions to reflect present-day realities.
Indeed, in October, the bank issued a directive requiring all financial institutions to submit detailed monthly reports on the activities of their Point-of-Sale (POS) agents.
The circular, signed by Musa Jimoh, Director of the CBN’s Payments System Policy Department, had stated that the reports must include comprehensive data on the nature, value, and volume of transactions conducted by agents.
The circular also stated that POS agents are restricted to a maximum of N1.2 million per day, while individual customers are limited to N100,000 in daily transactions.
CBN said these limits are intended to curb misuse, enhance financial integrity, and protect consumers within the agent banking framework.
Consequently, CBN stated that the new set of cash-related policies is designed to reduce the associated cost in managing cash which, some analysts, say are in most cases, passed on to the customers as well as accompanying risks with economy’s reliance on cash, despite its cashless policy project.
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“These policies, issued over the years in response to evolving circumstances in cash management, sought to reduce cash usage and encourage accelerated adoption of other payment options, particularly electronic payment channels. With the effluxion of time, the need has arisen to streamline the provisions of these policies to reflect present-day realities,” the CBN stated
New Deposit, Withdrawal Rules:
According to the circular, effective January 1, 2026, individuals will be allowed to withdraw up to N500,000 weekly across all channels, while corporate entities will be limited to N5 million.
However, withdrawals above these thresholds will attract excess withdrawal fees of three percent for individuals and five percent for corporates, with the charges shared between the CBN and the financial institutions.
Daily withdrawals from Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) will be capped at N100,000 per customer, subject to a maximum of N500,000 weekly.
The special authorisation previously permitting individuals to withdraw N5 million and corporates N10 million once monthly has been discontinued.
The CBN also confirmed that all currency denominations may now be loaded in ATMs, while the over-the-counter encashment limit for third-party cheques remains at N100,000. Such withdrawals will also form part of the weekly withdrawal limit.
Also, Deposit Money Banks, (DMBs) are required to submit monthly reports on cash withdrawals above the specified limits, as well as on cash deposits, to the relevant supervisory departments.
They must also create separate accounts to warehouse processing charges collected on excess withdrawals.
Exemptions:
Revenue-generating accounts of federal, state, and local governments, along with accounts of microfinance banks and primary mortgage banks with commercial and non-interest banks, are exempted from the new withdrawal limits and excess withdrawal fees.
However, exemptions previously granted to embassies, diplomatic missions, and aid-donor agencies have been withdrawn.
The CBN clarified that the circular is without prejudice to the provisions of certain earlier directives but supersedes others, as detailed in its appendices.
