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Finance & capitalFinanceNigeria

Obtain a payment service (fintech) licence (CBN)

License a payment company with the CBN: choose category (Switching, MMO, PSSP, PTSP, Super-Agent) → deposit capital & apply → Approval-in-Principle → final licence.

Procedure
4steps
Coordination
1agency
Category
Finance & capitalFinance
Task links

Go to the exact next page

Application, requirements, forms, fees, and tracking are labelled separately.

Routing map

Who you will deal with

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
Procedure

The steps, in order

Each route below is scoped to the step it can actually complete.

  1. 01

    Choose the PSP category

    Agency
    Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
    What is required
    Categories & capital: Switching & Processing ₦2bn; Mobile Money Operator (MMO) ₦2bn (only MMOs may hold customer funds); Payment Solution Service Provider (PSSP) ₦100m; Payment Terminal Service Provider (PTSP) ₦100m; Super-Agent.
    Documents
    Chosen category; business model
    Typical timeline
    Selection
  2. 02

    Deposit capital and apply

    Agency
    Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
    What is required
    Deposit the category minimum with the CBN before the application (e.g. PSSP/PTSP ₦100m; Switching/MMO ₦2bn) and incorporate with matching objects.
    Documents
    Capital deposit; incorporation; application
    Typical timeline
    Application stage
  3. 03

    Approval-in-Principle

    Agency
    Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
    What is required
    The CBN reviews the application and grants Approval-in-Principle.
    Documents
    Complete application; fit-and-proper management
    Typical timeline
    AIP phase
  4. 04

    Final licence

    Agency
    Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
    What is required
    Satisfy conditions, integrations and inspection; the CBN grants the final PSP licence.
    Documents
    Met conditions; systems integration
    Typical timeline
    On approval
Finance & capital