Nigeria: Evaluating how New CBN PoS and Agent Banking Rules will Reshape Trust, Access and Competition in Rural Finance

[InfoWire] In many rural towns, the ”bank” people touch most often is not a branch at all, but a kiosk with a POS terminal, a handwritten ledger, and an agent who knows everyone’s name. A farmer cashes out to buy fertilizer, a teacher sends school fees, a trader tops up float to keep business moving. The same counter is also where people compare fees, complain about failed transfers, and ask which service is ”safe”, because money conversations travel fast in places where cash flow is