The Central Bank of Nigeria has said that old design naira banknotes will continue to be legal tender beyond December 31, 2023.
In a statement signed by Director, Corporate Communication Dr. Isa AbdulMumin on Tuesday, all banknotes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in accordance with Section 20(5) of the CBN Act 2007, will continue to remain legal tender, ad infinitum, even beyond the initial December 31, 2023, deadline.
According to the Apex Bank, it is not only in line with international best practices, it would also forestall a repeat of earlier experiences.
“Please recall that the Central Bank of Nigeria introduced the redesign of N200, N500 and N1,000 denominations in October 2022 and certain deadlines were set for the old design of these denominations to cease as legal tenders.
“Without prejudice, the Central Bank of Nigeria wishes to inform the general public of its desire to extend the legal tender status deadline of the old design of N200, N500 and N1,000 denominations, ad infinitum.
“The Central Bank of Nigeria is working with the relevant authorities to vacate the subsisting court ruling on the same subject. Accordingly, all CBN branches across the country will continue to issue and accept all denominations of Nigerian banknotes, old and redesigned, to and from deposit money banks (DMBs),” the statement read.
The regulator enjoined Nigerians to continue to accept all Naira banknotes (old or redesigned) for day-to-day transactions and “handle these banknotes with utmost care, to safeguard and protect the lifecycle of the banknotes. Also, the general public is encouraged to embrace alternative modes of payment, e-channels, for day-to-day transactions.”
