NIGERIA EMERGED THE WINNER as NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP) attains 1st Instant Payment System (IPS) in Africa to reach ‘MATURITY’ on the AfricaNenda’s IPS Inclusivity spectrum.

Nigeria has achieved a groundbreaking milestone as the NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP) platform becomes the first Instant Payment System (IPS) in Africa to reach the “Mature” level of inclusivity on AfricaNenda’s IPS Inclusivity Spectrum. This recognition was announced during the State of Inclusive Instant Payment Systems (SIIPS) in Africa 2025 Report Launch held in Ezulwini, Eswatini.

The SIIPS conference brought together over 200 experts—including central-bank governors, IPS operators, fintech innovators and regulators—to explore the future of digital payments across the continent. During the event, NIP stood out for its leadership, innovation and inclusive design, earning the highest award ever given to an African IPS.

What Earned Nigeria the Top Ranking?

AfricaNenda’s evaluation framework measures instant payment systems across functionality, governance and user-centric features. NIP excelled in all categories due to:

• High inclusion levels for indirect participants (banks, fintechs, non-banks)
• Strong dispute-resolution processes and consumer-awareness mechanisms
• Real-time settlement and seamless 24/7 digital access
• Simplified onboarding for low-income users
• Reliable, high-performance technology infrastructure

These strengths reinforce NIP’s position as a trusted, inclusive and resilient national payment system.

A Vision of Inclusive Growth

“The award recognises not only a system, but a vision of inclusive growth,” said Premier Oiwoh, Managing Director/CEO of NIBSS. “It reflects our commitment to delivering payments infrastructure that is faster, safer, more affordable and accessible to all Nigerians—and to partnering with the continent as we shape the future of payments in Africa.”

For more than 14 years, NIP has transformed Nigeria’s payment landscape and has been globally recognized as the first of its kind. Its architecture, design and use cases continue to influence payment-system modernization across other markets.

Building the Future: The National Payment Stack (NPS)

Building on NIP’s success, NIBSS has developed the National Payment Stack (NPS) —Africa’s first ISO 20022-compliant national payment infrastructure. NPS is engineered to deliver:

• Enhanced security
• True interoperability
• Richer data exchange
• Intelligent transaction routing
• Instant settlement
• Multi-rail capabilities

NPS represents the next evolution of instant payments in Nigeria and will ultimately replace NIP, ushering in a smarter, faster and more inclusive payment future for the nation.

Appreciation to the Central Bank of Nigeria

NIBSS acknowledges the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for its unwavering regulatory stewardship and strategic guidance, which continue to strengthen payment-system governance, resilience and innovation. The CBN’s direction remains central to Nigeria’s leadership on the continent.

A Win for the Entire Ecosystem

This achievement belongs to the entire financial ecosystem—banks, fintechs, payment service providers and other institutions working collaboratively under the NIP platform. Their collective effort has made Nigeria a regional payments powerhouse and set a new benchmark for Africa’s digital future.