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Nigerian Central Bank: We Are Not Worried About the Naira’s Valuation
9.9.2021
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s director of monetary policy, Hassan Mahmud, has suggested that the institution is not worried about the naira’s valuation but is instead interested in “boosting dollar supply on the currency market.” Naira Depreciation According to...
Report: Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission Sets Up Fintech Division for Crypto Research
5.9.2021
Nigeria’s securities regulator, the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has set up a fintech division “to study crypto investments.” This was revealed by Lamido Yuguda, the director-general of the SEC during an interview. Protecting Crypto Investors In...
Central Bank of Nigeria Selects Barbados-Based Fintech Firm as Technical Partner for CBDC Project
1.9.2021
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has named the fintech firm Bitt Inc. as a technical partner for its digital currency project, the e-naira. As a technical partner, Bitt is expected to use its “technological competence and implementation experience” to help the CBN successfully launch...
Annual US Dollar Remittances to Nigeria Surge to $34 Billion but Forex Woes Persist
31.8.2021
According to a report, the value of annual dollar remittances by Nigerians working abroad has surged to $34 billion, a figure that easily surpasses the previous record-high of $25 billion. Still, a large portion of the funds doesn’t seem to be entering domestic forex markets. Target Attained...
Nigerian Central Bank Reveals CBDC Guidelines, Announces Plan to Launch E-Naira Wallet
30.8.2021
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reportedly confirmed that its e-naira digital currency will have a legal tender and non-interest-bearing asset status. In addition, a limit on customer transactions and value-based transactions will be imposed. Five-Stage Launch According to a Nairametrics...
Nigerian Central Bank Freezes Bank Accounts of Fintech Firms, Accuses Them of Violating Forex Regulations
19.8.2021
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) reportedly frozen bank accounts belonging to four fintech firms for up to 180 days after a Federal High Court in Abuja acceded to an “ex parte motion.” The ex parte motion, which is a form of temporary suspension, was granted after a Nigerian chief...
Kucoin Boss on Strategy After Hack: ‘We Chose to Act’
12.8.2021
Kucoin, one of the leading crypto exchanges, suffered a hacking incident in 2020 where over $250 million was stolen. However, immediately after the hacking was reported, Kucoin began cooperating with various players from the crypto industry. This cooperation ultimately led to the recovery of...
Report: Nigeria’s Digital Currency to Be Designated ‘Critical National Infrastructure’
11.8.2021
According to a report, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is planning to have its proposed digital currency designated “critical national infrastructure” in order to protect it from operational and cyber-security risks. In addition, the CBN will also apply regulatory and compliance...
Leader of Nigerian Crypto Stakeholders’ Body Welcomes the E-Naira — Says It ‘Comes With No Magic Wand’
1.8.2021
Nigeria’s proposed digital currency, the e-naira, is likely to be a welcome boost to ongoing efforts to reduce the number of Nigerians that are financially excluded, a leader of a stakeholders’ body has said. However, according to Senator Ihenyen, the president of Stakeholders...
Nigerian Crypto Exchange Boss: CBN Directive Led Shift of Trades From Centralized Exchanges to Black Market Exchanges
1.8.2021
It has been more than six months since the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directed banks to stop serving customers from the cryptocurrency industry. While the measure appears to have succeeded in removing crypto entities from the banking ecosystem, the policy has however led to the growth...
Nigerian Central Bank Stops Forex Sales to Bureaus de Change — Operators Accused of Feeding Black Market
28.7.2021
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently announced the abrupt end to sales and outsourcing of foreign exchange to Bureau de Change (BDC) operators after accusing them of failing to stick to their core mandate. Instead of providing forex to retail users, BDCs are believed to be supplying...
Report: Nigeria to Start Piloting Digital Currency in October
24.7.2021
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reportedly set October 1 as the commencement date for the trial phase of its digital currency project. Dubbed project Giant, this digital currency project, or the “e-naira,” is expected to use the Hyperledger Fabric blockchain. CBDC Comes to Life...
Nigeria’s June P2P Bitcoin Trade Volumes Surged Again Despite Central Bank’s Crypto Restrictions
12.7.2021
Nigeria’s peer-to-peer bitcoin trade volumes went up to just under $38 million in June 2021, the latest data shows. This surge becomes only the second time Nigerian P2P traded volumes have breached the $35 million mark in 2021. March 2021 is the only other period when P2P bitcoin traded...
Nigerian Twitter Suspension Has Unintended Effects on Country’s Crypto Community
6.7.2021
On the surface, it looks like Nigeria’s suspension of Twitter operations on June 4 may have been triggered by the microblogging company’s decision to take down a controversial tweet — from President Mohammed Buhari. However, as some observers have noted, the removal of the tweet...
Nigerian Currency Overvalued by 10% Says Central Bank Governor
1.7.2021
The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has reportedly told investors that the country’s currency is overvalued by 10%. The governor’s remarks, which have been confirmed by two unnamed sources, suggest that the central bank is planning to devalue the naira...
Nigerian Learning Institution Says It Now Accepts Crypto as Payment for School Fees
29.6.2021
A learning institution in Nigeria’s Kano state, the New Oxford Science Academy, recently announced it will be accepting cryptocurrency as payment for school fees. According to the school’s proprietor, Sabi’u Musa Haruna, the institution arrived at this decision after consulting...
Report: Nigerian NFT Artists Thrive Despite Bubble Fears and Ongoing Central Bank Anti-Crypto Restrictions
25.6.2021
Nigerian artists are now increasing their net worth by leveraging the art world’s lucrative pivot to non-fungible tokens (NFT). According to reports, this move to NFTs is happening despite the Nigerian central bank’s renewed anti-crypto stance. NFT Bubble Concerns As a recent CNN report...
New World Bank Report: Nigeria’s Exchange Rate Policies Fueling Inflation, Affecting Food Prices
21.6.2021
Nigeria’s use of multiple exchange rates regimes may have contributed to a rise in the country’s inflation rate, the latest World Bank report has said. In addition, the report says ongoing restrictions on the use and movement of foreign exchange are “further pushing up prices...
Nigerian Central Bank Threatens Jail Time for Citizens Caught Defacing Naira Banknotes
16.6.2021
Fighting to stop the value of the naira from dropping further, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) faces yet another problem: abuse of naira banknotes. According to the CBN’s Aladeen Badajo, the central bank is concerned with the rate at which Nigerians “mutilate, deface, squeeze and even...
After Central Bank Devalues Naira by 5% Finance Minister Attributes Drop to ‘Market Forces’
14.6.2021
Nigerian Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed has denied widespread reports that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had sanctioned the devaluation of the local currency sometime in May 2021. Instead, she attributes the naira’s fall to the “volatility in the oil price.” Ahmed’s...