Nigeria has achieved a major victory on the continental stage as the NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP) platform was declared Africa’s first Instant Payment System (IPS) to attain the “Mature” level on Africa Nenda’s IPS Inclusivity Spectrum, an unprecedented recognition and the highest honour ever awarded to an IPS on the continent.
The announcement came during the State of Inclusive Instant Payment Systems (SIIPS) Africa 2025 Report Launch, held from November 12 to 14 in Ezulwini, Eswatini.
The event brought together more than 200 senior delegates, including African central-bank governors, global IPS operators, fintech innovators, regulators and media professionals, all focused on advancing the continent’s digital payments ecosystem.
NIP’s achievement stems from a rigorous evaluation based on AfricaNenda’s three-tier inclusivity framework, which assesses instant payment systems on functional inclusion, governance, and user-centric design.
Nigeria’s NIP earned top marks for its wide-ranging accessibility to banks, fintechs and non-banks; its robust and transparent dispute-resolution structure; always-on real-time availability; simplified onboarding for low-income users; and its strong technology foundation capable of supporting high-volume, high-speed transactions.
