BREAKING: CAC Orders Nationwide Crackdown on Unregistered POS Operators

• The Corporate Affairs Commission has announced a nationwide enforcement against unregistered POS operators from January 1, 2026, warning that terminals may be seized and operators shut down if they fail to obtain valid CAC registration.

The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has launched a nationwide crackdown on unregistered Point of Sale (POS) operators, warning that from January 1, 2026, any agent without valid registration will be shut down and their terminals confiscated.

In a public notice issued on Friday, the commission accused thousands of POS operators of violating the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020 and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Agent Banking guidelines, sometimes with the backing of fintech firms.

“The reckless proliferation of unregistered PoS operators has become a clear danger to Nigeria’s financial system and the hard-earned money of citizens. This illegality ends on 31 December 2025,” the statement signed by CAC Management read.

Key directives issued by the CAC include:

• From January 1, 2026, no POS operator may operate without valid CAC registration
• Security agencies have been instructed to enforce compliance nationwide
• Unregistered terminals will be seized on sight
• Fintech companies aiding unregistered agents will be placed on a watchlist and reported to the CBN for sanctions

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The commission advised all POS agents, businesses, and mobile money operators to immediately regularise their status, stressing that “compliance is not optional; it is the law.”

Industry observers say the move targets growing concerns over fraud, money laundering and tax evasion within the POS sector, which expanded rapidly after the 2023 cash scarcity crisis.

With less than four weeks to comply, operators risk losing their terminals — and their businesses — if they fail to register before the deadline.