Naira Scarcity: CBN insists banks have ‘massive supply’ of new notes

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says it supplied “massive” amount of the new naira notes to commercial banks as customers lament the difficulty in obtaining the banknotes.

Godwin Emefiele, the CBN governor, represented by Musa Jimoh, the director of Payment System Management Department of the bank, disclosed this in a news conference on in Jos.

“The CBN has massively supplied the new notes to commercial banks to dispense both at counters and ATMs,” stated Mr Emefiele.

“This is to enable quick circulation and we want to advice commercial banks to desist from keeping the cash away from the public or face the stiffer sanction.”

Mr Emefiele advised bank customers to deposit their old notes at any commercial bank and obtain the new banknotes with immediate effect, insisting that the January 31 deadline would not be extended.

The CBN governor explained that the decision to redesign the currency shows that the apex bank is in tandem with global standard, adding that currency notes ought to be redesigned within five years.

He, however, regretted that it took Nigeria nine years since such changes was last effected.Speaking during a monitoring and sensitisation exercise held in some locations in Jos, the CBN governor said the decision to redesign the country’s higher denominations of currency was a national project aimed at addressing problems related to cash circulation.

He added that it would also solve the challenge of prolonged savings in piggy banks, cash hoarding and incidents of fake currencies.

“The monitoring and sensitisation project was activated by the apex bank for investigation of the attitude of banks toward the spread of the new currencies.”

We are equally using it to create awareness on the use of agents to circulate the cash in communities with few or no bank branches available,” he explained.

January 31 is the deadline for old Naira notes – CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele insists

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has said that the January 31st deadline for the validity of the old N200, N500 and N1,000 notes remains, and will not be shifted for anything.

Emefiele announced this after the apex bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, January 24.

Speaking at the meeting, Emefiele said kidnapping and ransom-taking have reduced since the three banknotes were redesigned.

He said that the time given for the swap of the old naira notes with new ones should be enough for Nigerians to go to commercial banks and get new notes.

”I must say that unfortunately, I don’t have good news for those who feel we should shift the deadline, my apologies.The reason is because 90 days (we feel it’s 100 days) should be enough for those who have the old currency to deposit it to the banks” he said.

Recall that on October 26, 2022, the apex bank announced its plan to redesign the three banknotes.

President Buhari subsequently unveiled the redesigned N200, N500 and N1,000 notes on November 23, 2022, while the apex bank fixed January 31 deadline for the validity of the old notes.

There have been concerns from many Nigerians over the slow spread of the three new naira notes as the January 31 2023 deadline approaches but the apex bank has insisted that the date stands.

CBN: We’ve been begging banks to take new notes

THE Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN yesterday said that it has been begging banks to come and collect the new N200, N500 and N1,000 naira notes.

The apex bank also disclosed it stopped withdrawal to curb abuse and adding that disbursement of the new naira notes has been restricted to ATMs in order to ensure access to all bank customers.

Director of Legal Services Department, CBN, Mr. Kofo Salam-Alada, disclosed this at a sensitisation programme at Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos.

Speaking against the backdrop of scarcity of the new naira notes and continued disbursement of old notes by ATMs of banks, Salam-Alada said that the apex bank will penalize banks for failure to collect the new notes and also for failure to disburse them via their ATMs.

While appealing to the public to go and deposit their old notes, he averred that there is no plan to extend the deadline for the public to deposit the old notes beyond January 31st.

He said: “I can tell you today the CBN on a daily basis gives out the new notes. As we speak now banks are with the CBN taking money.

“I am reliably told that we are actually begging commercial banks to come and take money (the new notes) from the CBN. We have these new naira notes in our vaults and we are waiting for banks to come and collect them.

“To also let you know the seriousness of CBN for these new naira notes to permeate everywhere, we have found out that a lot of things are happening, and we stopped the across-the-counter withdrawal of new naira notes to ensure that you, you, you can have access to it.

“Not a situation where, one chief, who is known to the Manager or everyone will cart away all the new naira notes from a particular branch.

“And that is why we said if you want the new naira notes walk to the ATM where there is no distinction between myself and the hawker over there.

“Part of what we are doing is that we have monitors going around banks. I have been to some ATMs this morning and I have logged reports, I have spoken to management of various banks. When I am in any bank, I speak with the Head Office, I ask them, where are the new naira notes we gave you, and you will start hearing an explanation.

“What you have been experiencing will actually ease off very soon because the banks now know there will be a penalty for failure to come and pick the new naira notes from the CBN and for failure to load the notes into their branches.”

CBN spends N800bn on currency production, destruction

The Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, Central Bank of Nigeria, Aisha Ahmad, has said the amount spent on maintaining the naira has increased by N10bn annually.

Ahmad, who revealed this on Friday during her appearance before the House of Representatives to defend CBN’s new cash withdrawal limits policy, attributed over 90 per cent of currency management costs to banknote production.

Findings indicate that the apex bank spends about N150bn on the management of the naira annually, which has now increased by N10bn, as declared by Ahmad in her presentation, obtained by one of our correspondents on Friday.

A former CBN deputy governor, Dr Kingsley Moghalu, had earlier disclosed that the apex bank spends about N150bn annually to maintain the naira.

He stated that the amount was used to produce, store, transport, protect and destroy the naira notes every year.

Going by Ahmad’s diclosure of N10bn increase, the apex bank has spent N800bn between 2017 and 2021 on the production, storage, transportation and destruction of the currency.

In her presentation, Ahmad said currency management was a key function of the apex bank as enshrined in Section 2(b) of the CBN Act, 2007, noting that the integrity of the currency and efficient supply of banknotes were indicators of a performing central bank, especially in predominantly cash-based economies such as Nigeria.

The deputy governor highlighted the various challenges facing currency management, which had affected the ability of the CBN to efficiently carry out its mandate of issuing legal tenders.

She stated,

“The challenges have continued to grow in scale, with the attendant consequences on the bank’s policy effectiveness, if left unaddressed. These challenges include wholesale hoarding of naira banknotes by members of the public.

“An observation supported by statistics shows that cash outside banks consists of over 80 per cent of the currency in circulation; worsening shortage of fit banknotes in circulation. This portends negative public perception of the bank and increasing threat to financial system stability.

“High and increasing cost borne by the bank: A review of the cost of currency management from 2017 to 2021 indicated an average increase of over N10bn per annum and over 90 per cent of currency management costs are attributed to banknote production.

This affects the CBN and other participants in Nigeria’s currency management sector (banknote production, storage processing, distribution activities and banknote destruction).”

Ahmad also noted that the high risk of counterfeiting evidenced by reports from security agencies on the rise of counterfeit-related incidents in some states, including the Federal Capital Territory, was another challenge.

This, she added, had adverse implications for businesses and the economy at large.

I don’t know the number of new notes printed – CBN deputy gov, Aisha Ahmad

The Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria in charge of Financial Stability, Aisha Ahmad, has said she does not know the quantity of the new Naira notes the CBN printed and released for circulation on December 15.

Recall that last Thursday, the apex bank released the redesigned N200, N500, and N1000 notes.

Nigerians have been complaining about the scarcity of the redesigned notes. Some people claim bank officials only give them N2000 worth of the redesigned notes whenever they visit the bank.

Also, ATMs are still dispensing the old notes. The lawmakers had on Wednesday resolved that a deputy governor of the CBN should appear to brief the House today in the absence of the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, who is outside the country to attend to health issues.

While appearing before the House of Representatives to brief the House on the apex bank’s cashless policy and cash withdrawal limits, Ahmad said she is not aware of the quantities of the printed redesigned notes.

A lawmaker, Sada Soli, in the course of the grilling of the CBN deputy governor, raised concerns over the non-availability of the new notes, days after it was were released to the public and asked her to disclose the quantities of new notes printed.

Responding, the CBN deputy governor said she does not know the quantities of notes printed by the apex bank.

Her response caused a stir in the chamber as the lawmakers wondered why she would not be aware of the figure.

The CBN deputy governor however said she was being careful so as not to give a wrong figure.

There’s no Nigerian that needs more than N100K cash weekly — Reno Omokri

Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri has spoken in favour of the recently imposed cash withdrawal limit by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Recall that the CBN recently restricted the maximum cash withdrawal over-the-counter (OTC) by individuals and corporate organizations per week to N100,000 and N500,000, respectively.

Reacting to criticisms that have trailed the policy, Omokri stated that there is no Nigerian that needs more than N100K cash weekly.

He added that other than paying for transport fares or buying groceries, everything can be done cashless.

House of Representatives orders CBN to suspend new cash withdrawal limit, summons Emefiele

The House of Representatives has asked the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to suspend its new policy limiting weekly cash withdrawals by individuals and corporate entities.

In a memo released on Tuesday, December 6, and signed by the Director of Banking Supervision, Haruna Mustafa, the apex bank directed all banks and other financial institutions to ensure that over-the-counter cash withdrawals by individuals and corporate entities do not exceed N100,000 and N500, 000, respectively, per week.

House of Representatives orders CBN to suspend new cash withdrawal limit, summons Emefiele It also directed that only N200 and lower denominations should be loaded into banks’ ATMs.

At its plenary today December 8, the lawmakers resolved that CBN should halt the implementation pending the conclusion of a probe.

The House also resolved that the CBN governor should appear before the house next Thursday. The resolution was sequel to a motion under matters of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Magaji Dau Aliyu.

Apart from the minority leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu who supported the CBN policy in that it will curb banditry and reduce the incidence of corruption, many other lawmakers who spoke vehemently condemned the decision of the CBN.

CBN warns against card discrimination

The Central Bank of Nigeria has warned banks, switching companies, and other relevant parties in the Nigerian payment system against discrimination between payment cards issued by Nigerian banks.

It said this in a circular to all banks, switching companies, and others, dated 5th December 2022, and signed by the CBN’s Director, Payments System Management Department, Musa Jimoh.

The circular was titled, ‘Re: Interoperability and interconnectivity of the payments system infrastructure in Nigeria’, the apex bank said the circular was a reminder of some of the provisions of its guidelines on operations of electronic payment channels in Nigeria.

It stated;

“The Central Bank of Nigeria has observed that a number of the acceptance devices deployed by banks discriminate between payment cards.

“For the avoidance of doubt, all certified payment acceptance devices deployed in Nigeria are required to accept all transactions arising from any card issued by any Nigerian bank.”

CBN noted that the circular served as a reminder of the following provisions of the guidelines on operations of electronic payment channels.

ATMs are not to load beyond N200 notes – CBN

The new policy introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria revealed that banks would only load N200 notes and lower denominations into their Automated Teller Machines.

This is also as it said withdrawals from point of sale terminal shall be limited to N20,000 on a daily basis while the weekly withdrawal from banks (over the counter) shall only be N100,000 and N500,000 weekly for individuals and corporate organisations respectively.

This is according to a memo issued to banks on Tuesday and signed by the CBN Director of Banking Supervision, Haruna .B. Mustafa.The CBN said this was in complement to the newly redesigned naira notes and to boost a cashless policy economy.

The memo read;

“Further to the launch of the redesigned naira notes by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Wednesday, November 23, 2022, and in line with the cashless policy of the CBN, all deposit money banks and other financial institutions are hereby directed to note and comply with the following:

1. The maximum cash withdrawal over the counter by individuals and corporate organisations per week shall henceforth be N100,000 and N500,000 respectively. Withdrawals above these limits shall attract processing fees of 5% and 10%, respectively.

2. Third-party cheques above N50,000 shall not be eligible for payment over the counter, while extant limits of N10,000,000 on clearing cheques still subsist.

3. The maximum cash withdrawal per week via Automated Teller Machine shall be N100,000 subject to a maximum of N20,000 cash withdrawal per day.

4. Only denominations of N200 and below shall be loaded into the ATMs.

5. The maximum cash withdrawal via the point of sale terminal shall be N20,000 daily.”

The CBN said in compelling circumstances, not exceeding once a month, where cash withdrawals above the prescribed limits would be required for legitimate purposes, such cash withdrawals shall not exceed N5,000,000.00 and N10,000,000.00 for individuals and corporate organisations, respectively, and shall be subject to the referenced processing fees in (1) above, in addition to enhanced due diligence and further information requirements.

It also said banks were required to obtain the following information at the minimum and upload same on the CBN portal created for the purpose:

a. Valid means of identification of the payee (National Identity Card, International Passport, Drivers License.).

b. Bank Verification Number of the payee.

c. Notarised customer declaration of the purpose of the cash withdrawal.

d. Senior management approval for the withdrawal by the Managing Director of the drawee, where applicable.

e. Approval in writing by the MD/CEO of the bank authorising the withdrawal.

“Please further note the following:

i. Monthly returns on cash withdrawal transactions above the specified limits should be rendered to the Banking Supervision Department.

ii. Compliance with extant AMUCFT regulations relating to the KYC, ongoing customer due diligence and suspicious transaction reporting etc., is required in all circumstances.

iii. Customers should be encouraged to use alternative channels (internet banking, mobile banking apps, USSD, cards/POS. eNaira, etc.) to conduct their banking transactions.”

The CBN notes that the directives take effect nationwide from January 9, 2023.

FG borrows N24tn from CBN amid fiscal risks

The Federal Government has borrowed N6.31tn from the Central Bank of Nigeria through Ways and Means Advances in 10 months.

This has pushed the Federal Government’s borrowing from the CBN from N17.46tn in December 2021 to N23.77tn in October 2022.

The N23.77tn owed the apex bank by the Federal Government is not part of the country’s total public debt stock, which stood at N42.84tn as of June 2022, according to the Debt Management Office.

The public debt stock only includes the debts of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the 36 state governments, and the Federal Capital Territory.

Ways and Means Advances is a loan facility through which the CBN finances the shortfalls in the government’s budget.

According to Section 38 of the CBN Act, 2007, the apex bank may grant temporary advances to the Federal Government with regard to temporary deficiency of budget revenue at such rate of interest as the bank may determine.

The Act read in part;

“The total amount of such advances outstanding shall not at any time exceed five per cent of the previous year’s actual revenue of the Federal Government.

All advances shall be repaid as soon as possible and shall, in any event, be repayable by the end of the Federal Government financial year in which they are granted and if such advances remain unpaid at the end of the year, the power of the bank to grant such further advances in any subsequent year shall not be exercisable, unless the outstanding advances have been repaid.”

However, the CBN has said on its website that the Federal Government’s borrowing from it through the Ways and Means Advances could have adverse effects on the bank’s monetary policy to the detriment of domestic prices and exchange rates.

“The direct consequence of central banks’ financing of deficits are distortions or surges in the monetary base leading to adverse effects on domestic prices and exchange rates i.e macroeconomic instability because of excess liquidity that has been injected into the economy,” it said.

The World Bank had, in November last year, warned the Nigerian government against financing deficits by borrowing from the CBN through the Ways and Means Advances, saying this put fiscal pressures on the country’s expenditures.

Despite warnings from experts and organisations, the Federal Government has kept borrowing from the CBN to fund budget deficits.

The PUNCH had reported that the Federal Government paid an interest of N2.03tn from January 2020 to November 2021 on the loans it got from the CBN through the Ways and Means Advances.

It was also reported that the Federal Government paid an interest of N405.93bn from January 2022 to April 2022 on the loans it got from the CBN.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Cowry Asset Management Limited, Mr Johnson Chukwu, recently said the central bank’s lending to the government was putting pressure on the exchange rate and the inflation rate, with “liquidity that has no productivity attached to it coming into the system.”

A development economist, Dr Aliyu Ilias, criticised the government for its constant reliance on borrowing, which was unhealthy for the economy.

He further urged the government to seek better ways of generating revenue rather than persistently borrowing from the apex bank.

CBN has my backing on redesigning of naira notes – President Buhari

President Buhari says he is fully in support of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s move to redesign the naira notes.

Recall that the apex bank’s decision to redesign the N1,000, N500, and N200 notes, caused a stir last week after the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said she wasn’t aware of the decision.

However, in a statement by his media aide Garba Shehu, the President said he is aware of the redesigning and that he is “convinced that the nation will gain a lot by doing so”.

President Buhari said reasons given to him by the CBN convinced him that the economy stood to benefit from the reduction in inflation, currency counterfeiting and the excess cash in circulation.

He said he did not consider the period of three months for the change to the new notes as being short.

People with illicit money buried under the soil will have a challenge with this but workers, businesses with legitimate incomes will face no difficulties at all.”the statement read

President Buhari approved Naira redesign – CBN replies finance minister

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reacted to the claim by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmad, that her ministry was not informed of the redesign N200, N500, and N1,000 denominations of the country’s currencies carried out by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Recall that on Tuesday, October 25, CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, announced that the apex bank had obtained President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval to redesign some naira notes.

However, while defending her ministry’s 2023 budget before the Senate Committee on Finance in Abuja on Friday, October 28, Ms. Zainab claimed that the CBN failed to consult her ministry on the proposed redesign of the denominations.

“We were not consulted. It was an announcement that we heard and there are also consequences.We are also looking at what the consequences will be. There will be some benefits but there are some challenges.

I don’t know if the monetary authorities have looked very closely at what the consequences are and how they can be mitigated.I still advise that you have that discussion with the monetary authority,” she had told the senate committee.

Reacting to the Ahmad’s statement, the spokesperson of the CBN, Osita Nwanisobi emphasised that the apex bank followed due process in its policy actions.

He said the management of the CBN, in line with provisions of section 2(b), section 18(a), and section 19(a)(b) of the CBN Act 2007, had duly sought and obtained the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari in writing, to redesign, produce, release and circulate new series of N200, N500, and N1,000 banknotes.

“The management of the CBN, in line with provisions of section 2(b), section 18(a), and section 19(a)(b) of the CBN Act 2007, had duly sought and obtained the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari in writing to redesign, produce, release and circulate new series of N200, N500, and N1,000 banknotes” he said According to Nwanisobi, “currency management in the country had faced several escalating challenges, which has threatened the integrity of the currency, the CBN and the country.

Every top-rate Central Bank was committed to safeguarding the integrity of the local legal tender, the efficiency of its supply as well as its efficacy in the conduct of monetary policy.”

On the timing of the redesign project, Nwanisobi explained that the CBN had waited long enough for 20 years to carry out a redesign

”The standard practice globally was for central banks to redesign, produce and circulate new local legal tender every five to eight years.”he said

While assuring Nigerians that the currency redesign exercise was purely a central banking exercise and not targeted at any group, the CBN spokesman expressed optimism that the effort will, among other goals, deepen Nigeria’s push to entrench a cashless economy in the face of increased minting of the eNaira.

This, he said, is in addition to helping to curb the incidents of terrorism and kidnapping due to access of persons to the large volume of money outside the banking system used as a source of funds for ransom payments.

Fintechs are disrupting banking sector operations – CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele

Governor Godwin Emefiele has said that financial technology (fintech) companies are disrupting operations of the banking sector.

Emefiele disclosed this at the International Association of Deposit Insurers (IADI) Africa Regional Committee (ARC) technical assistance workshop in Abuja on Tuesday October 4.

The CBN governor who stated that there is urgent need for the banking industry regulators to gird their loins, described the developments as “very disturbing”, adding that it has continued to disrupt traditional ways of offering financial services in the banking landscape.

Emefiele also said that Fintechs who want to be deposit-taking institutions should come forward with N25 billion and become a bank.

He said;

“We will ensure that we can put in place strong regulatory framework and practices that should help nip in the bud, the unfortunate incident that may happen as we try to allow the growth of fintechs in Nigeria.

“Fintechs who want to be deposit-taking institutions should come forward and become a bank, bring N25 billion and be a bank.

“Our deposit insurance system (DIS), as a component of the financial safety-net arrangement, is the risk-minimiser model and has been very effective in the discharge of its mandate.

The CBN and NDIC represent key components of Nigeria’s financial safety-net arrangement.

“That partly explains why we have been able to successfully resolve the series of financial crises that confronted us with satisfying results.

“It is instructive to mention that the CBN and NDIC have been able to deal with the emerging crisis in the nation’s banking system.

The 2009 banking crisis, 2004 banking consolidation exercise and their subsequent resolutions, provided a reference point of the benefit for effective collaboration between the central bank and deposit insurer.”

CBN unveils USSD code for eNaira transactions

Godwin Emefiele, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria on Thursday August 25, inaugurated the unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) code for the eNaira to enhance financial inclusion in the country.

Emefiele who was represented by Folashodun Adenisi-Shonubi, CBN’s Deputy Governor of Operations at a five-day Northern eNaira fair 2022, in Kano, said the new code — *997# — was introduced to engender financial inclusion and avail Nigerians opportunities endless possibilities through financial services.

He also said that the eNaira is a strategic initiative developed in accordance with the bank’s mandate to preserve monetary and financial stability.

Emefiele said;

It captured the slogan ‘same naira, more possibilities’, and designed to positively impact lives of Nigerians, and transform the economy.

“The eNaira is expected to enhance inclusion, support poverty reduction, enable direct welfare disbursement to citizens, support a resilient payments ecosystem, improve availability and usability of central bank money.”

The CBN Governor who expressed hope of the eNaira facilitating diaspora remittances, reducing the cost of processing cash, and improving the efficiency of cross-border payments, among others, also revealed that approximately 45 percent of Nigerians do not have bank accounts, while 35.9 percent are excluded from formal financial services.

He added that about 81 percent of the adult population in Nigeria representing 86 million of the 106 million, own mobile phones.

Emefiele said;

“In addition, there are 150 million mobile subscribers in Nigeria, according to NCC, June 2022.

“Therefore, eNaira seeks to leverage the huge opportunity mobile telecommunication presents, as a distribution channel, for the offering of digital services to the underserved and unbanked population.”

CBN won’t devalue naira.

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is unlikely to devalue the naira, despite rising demand for the dollar at both official and parallel markets, The Nation has learnt.

A report by Augusto & Co. titled: “2022: The Story So Far & What Lies Ahead”, said the naira, which started this year at N567/$ at the parallel market, now exchanges at N707/$. It is N416.37/$ at the official market.”The report added that the declining value of the local currency “has pushed up the exchange rate premium between the official and parallel markets to N290.63/$.

”The last devaluation of the naira was in May 2021, when the CBN adopted the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Rate (NAFEX), also known as the Investor and Exporter (I&E) forex window rate, as its official exchange rate to the dollar.The report read in part: “We do not expect the CBN to officially devalue the exchange rate despite sustained pressure. At the official market, we expect the naira to hover between N419/$ and N425/$ through the end of 2022.The persistent swings and volatility of the naira exchange rate have worsened in recent time. It began a wild race on July 19, depreciating by 16 per cent to N717/$ on July 28 before appreciating to N707 on July 29.

”The report explained that election-related uncertainty will severely limit capital inflows in the remaining months of 2022, even if domestic interest rates rise further.The Agusto & Co. report noted that long-term inflation is one of the exchange rate stoking factors, adding that the differential between two countries’ long-term inflation rates would be mirrored in the exchange rate depreciation between both nations.In other words, the long-term rate of inflation of the naira compared to that of the US Dollar plays a significant role in what the value of the Naira would be relative to the dollar.This, it predicted, will also impair CBN’s ability to intervene in the foreign exchange market, hence, the reserves level will stabilise at about $41 billion by the end of 2022.Since the Naira has a higher long-term rate of inflation (12 per cent) compared to the US Dollar (two per cent), it is a weaker currency and will depreciate by approximately 10 per cent,” it said.The report enumerated three major mechanisms for exchange rate determination, namely, pegged exchange rate system, floating currency, and a crawling peg.It explained that although each of the options has its own shortcomings, a crawling peg option is more suitable for Nigeria.

As a result, external reserves accretion, which has been ostensibly triggered by the CBN’s interest rate hike, is expected to be constrained.An Economist and Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismarck Rewane, said the naira surprised speculators and market watchers by appreciating by 1.5 per cent from N718/$ to N707/$ on Friday.“Most analysts were fearing that an N1000/$ was within shouting distance. As unpalatable as N707/$ may sound, some Nigerians are breathing a sigh of relief. The reason for this respite is mainly because of a naira crunch,” he explained.

He said there is temporary resistance at N718/$ and a market correction which means the naira may appreciate N695/$ before falling again.These are technical movements which do not address the fundamental weaknesses in the Nigerian forex market and the short supply of dollars from the CBN and exporters. That means, there is a limit to how much naira is available in the system,” Rewane said.

UK COURT GRANTS REFUND OF $200M TO NIGERIA

Gas plant flare

A London commercial court on Tuesday ordered that Nigeria be given the $200m (£156m) it deposited last year pending its appeal against the $10bn awarded to a firm over a failed gas plant.

Process and Industrial Development (P&ID), a British Virgin Islands-registered firm, had in 2017 won a $6.6 billion arbitration award after the West African country failed to adhere to the terms of the 2010 contract.

Last year, a UK court ruled that Nigeria’s assets could be seized if it did not pay the bill that had accrued to about $10bn.

Nigeria was allowed to appeal but told to pay a deposit of $200m.

On Monday, the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced that the “London Commercial Court [had] ordered the release of the $200m guarantee”.

“The court also awarded a £70,000 ($90,000) cost in favour of Nigeria in addition to an earlier award of £1.5m,”

Nigeria’s Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami, said in a statement that the government is happy with the successes recorded so far in the case.