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Nigerian Currency Redesign Controversy: Naira Slips by Almost 20%, Experts See Exchange Rate Reaching 1,000:1 USD Before Year End
5.11.2022
The Nigerian currency appeared to accelerate its decline versus the U.S. dollar after it slipped to a new low of 900 naira for every dollar. The currency has continued to depreciate even after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s raid on suspected illegal foreign exchange dealers....
CBN to unveil new naira notes to improve exchange rate and inflation
4.11.2022
The newly redesigned N200, N500, and N1000 notes are expected to enter circulation on December 15, 2022, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Recently, Governor Godwin Emefiele gave a special briefing at which he disclosed this. According to him, the redesign of the naira notes was made...
Report: Zimbabwe Proceeding With Digital Currency Plans, Central Bank Undeterred By Slow Adoption of Nigerian CBDC
3.11.2022
Undeterred by the reported slow adoption of the Nigerian central bank digital currency, the deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Innocent Matshe recently said his institution will proceed with plans to launch its own digital currency. In addition to sending a team to learn from...
Nigeria’s Central Bank Doubles Down on Plans to Introduce Newly Designed Naira Banknotes
31.10.2022
The Nigerian central bank was, on Oct. 29, forced to defend its controversial currency redesign plans, just a few days after they were publicly questioned by Nigerian Finance Minister Zainab Ahmad. The central bank insists the move is long overdue and urged Nigerians “to support the currency...
Nigerian Central Bank Says It Will Release New Banknotes in December — Naira Falls to New Low
29.10.2022
Starting December 15, Nigerians will be using newly-designed 100, 200, 500 and 1,000-naira banknotes, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said. The announcement has since resulted in the naira’s parallel market exchange rate versus the U.S. dollar dropping to a new low...
Nigerian CBDC Still Not Widely Used a Year After Launch
27.10.2022
On October 25, Nigeria commemorated the first anniversary of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s e-naira, even as more residents continue to snub the digital currency. In a move aimed at boosting the use of the CBDC, the central bank is offering a 5% discount to motorized rickshaw drivers...
Nigerian Presidential Hopeful’s Party Says It Will Review Country’s Blockchain and Crypto Policy if Elected
23.10.2022
The party of the Nigerian presidential hopeful Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has promised to set up an advisory committee to review regulations that govern blockchain and virtual asset services if it wins in the upcoming elections. The All Progressives Congress also said it “will work with the Central...
Report: Bank of America Economist Predicts 20% Devaluation of the Nigerian Currency in 2023
21.10.2022
A Bank of America economist, Tatonga Rusike, has said the Nigerian currency is overvalued by as much as 20% and will likely be devalued in 2030. The remarks by the economist came just days after the currency’s exchange rate reportedly touched a new low of just under 750 naira for every U.S....
Egyptian Pound Latest African Currency to Slump to Record Low Versus US Dollar
6.10.2022
The Egyptian pound recently became the latest currency from the African continent to see its value versus the greenback slump to a record low. The pound’s fall came amidst reports suggesting the Egyptian government is hoping to strike a loan deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)...
Forex Shortages Blamed After Nigerian Currency Hits New Low Versus the US Dollar
3.10.2022
A surge in the demand for foreign exchange and the general scarcity of the resource may be the reasons why the naira currency recently slumped to a new all-time low of 735 versus the U.S. dollar, a report has said. One Nigerian currency dealer said he expects the naira to further depreciate to...
Nigerian Central Bank Hikes Key Interest Rate Just Days After Naira Plunges to New Low
28.9.2022
Following the latest meeting of the monetary policy committee, the Central Bank of Nigeria says it has hiked the monetary policy rate to 15.5%. By increasing the key interest rate by 150 basis points, the central bank hopes to “narrow the negative real interest rate gap and rein...
Nigerian Presidential Candidate Says Fixed Exchange Rate Regime ‘Has to End’ — Touts Success of Fintech Unicorn Flutterwave
6.9.2022
A Nigerian presidential election candidate, Peter Obi, has said the local currency’s exchange rate against the dollar must not be fixed but must be determined “by the forces of demand and supply.” Pointing to the success of the Nigerian fintech Flutterwave, the candidate said...
Nigerian Central Bank Slashes CBDC Transaction Fees by 50%
30.8.2022
The Central Bank of Nigeria has said it is slashing transaction fees for the e-naira platform by 50% — a move which the bank claims will increase the volume of transactions on the central bank digital currency (CBDC) platform. The central bank also believes that wider adoption of the CBDC...
Nigerian BTC Peer-to-Peer Volumes Nearly $400M in H1 of 2022 — Significant Growth in Kenya and Ghana Volumes
25.8.2022
Nigeria’s peer-to-peer bitcoin traded volumes of over $1.1 billion between January 2021 and June 2022 mean the West African nation is now Paxful’s largest market. Kenya, which saw traded volumes of over $325 million during the same period, now ranks as the crypto exchange’s...
Report: Nigerian Central Bank Targets Tenfold Increase in Number of CBDC Users, Governor Says Use of Cash Will ‘Dissipate to Zero’
23.8.2022
Despite the apparent slow embrace of the e-naira digital currency by Nigerians, the Central Bank of Nigeria governor has said his institution is targeting a tenfold increase in the number of users of the digital currency in the next twelve months. The governor predicted that the use of cash will...
Binance CEO’s Warning About Wazirx Wallets, Nigerian EFCC on Naira Depreciation, O’Leary Buys the Dip — Bitcoin.com News Week in Review
14.8.2022
Another week has passed and developments in the Binance-Wazirx controversy continue, Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) claims it has identified individuals fueling the naira’s depreciation, Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary says crypto “desperately...
Report: Nigerian Anti-Graft Body Identifies Individuals Fueling the Naira’s Rapid Depreciation
9.8.2022
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recently claimed it had identified individuals and organizations whose rapid accumulation of U.S. dollars recently accelerated the depreciation of the local currency, a report said. According to Abdulrasheed Bawa, the EFCC chairman...
Nigerian Currency Recovers Versus US Dollar — Central Bank Says Importers Must Repatriate Forex Earnings
6.8.2022
After touching a new all-time low of N710 per dollar in late July, a new report says the Nigerian currency has rebounded by as much as 10%. After initially blaming speculators, the Central Bank of Nigeria has said importers who fail to remit forex earnings may be contributing to the naira’s...
Speculators and Crypto Traders Blamed for Naira’s Plunge, Kenyan Institutions Told to End Dealings With Nigerian Fintechs, CAR Token Sale off to Slow Start
4.8.2022
In this week’s Africa news highlights, the Nigerian central bank blames speculators for causing the local currency’s plunge to a new all-time low on the parallel market. In Kenya, the central bank has told financial institutions to cease having dealings with two Nigerian fintechs...
Nigerian Central Bank Told to Consider Floating the Naira, Recent Interest Rate Hike Slammed
2.8.2022
The Central Bank of Nigeria should be discontinuing the fixed exchange rate system and let the naira freely float against the major currencies, Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, the leader of a Nigerian association of bureau de change operators has said. The leader also slammed the recent adjustment of...