That ₦50 stamp duty we’ve gotten used to seeing deducted when receiving money? The government is bringing it back fully as stamp duty and shifting the burden to the sender. So instead of it being a hidden deduction on money you receive, it becomes an extra fee you pay every single time you send ₦10k and above.

Meaning:

Sending ₦50k that used to cost ₦25 could now cost ₦75–₦100.

Do that often — business owners, PoS agents, freelancers — and it adds up fast.

The logic is simple: Nigeria’s digital payments are booming (₦1 quadrillion in 2024), and the government wants a steady cut. That small ₦50 multiplied by millions of daily transfers turns into hundreds of billions in revenue.

But for users, fintech apps, and small businesses, this slowly chips away at what made bank transfers attractive in the first place: speed, ease, and low cost.

It’s not dramatic. It’s just ₦50.

Until you’re paying it every day.

From January 2026, that’s the new normal.