News

Jan 31 Deadline For Old Naira Notes Remains, CBN Insists …Raises Interest Rate To 17.5%

Published

3 years ago

January 25, 2023

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said that its January 31, 2023 deadline for the validity of the old N200, N500 and N1,000 notes remains.
The CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, announced this after the apex bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in Abuja, yesterday.
The CBN also raised the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR), which measures interest rate, to 17.5percent.
According to him, kidnapping and ransom-taking have reduced since the three banknotes were redesigned.
He also said the time given for the swap of the old naira notes with new ones were enough for Nigerians to go to commercial banks and get new notes.
The CBN on October 26, 2022 had announced its plan to redesign the three banknotes. President Muhammadu 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.
The CBN also recently directed commercial banks to halt over-the-counter payment of the new notes and load their Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) with the redesigned naira notes to boost circulation.
The apex bank also launched a cash swap programme nationwide to enable those in the unbanked areas to exchange their old notes for new notes before the deadline.
On the wide clamour for the extension of the deadline for old currency usage, the CBN Governor said: “Unfortunately, I don’t have good news for them. My apologies. We can’t shift the deadline. Just like Mr President has said on some occasions, 90 days is enough for people to get their money into the bank. We ensured the banks extended banking hours and opened on Saturdays to accept the old notes. But they did not see the rush. Only the same normal deposits. So, no need for a shift”.
On the scarcity of the new naira, Emefiele said the CBN holds three meetings with the banks every week to address the challenge.
“We saw that the banks were paying the new notes to their close customers and we stopped it and said, feed it to the ATMs. It has worked. In the initial stages, they were seeing old notes and after a week, we said that only needed notes should be in ATMs and we increased the volume of new notes.
“We told the banks that we want to have zero old notes in your vaults by the 1st of February. There are adequate new notes available. Our mint is producing and we are supplying.
“I held a meeting with state governors and some said no banks in riverine areas and upland areas. But we have 1.4million super agents for cash exchanges.
“We’ve put this in place. A week ago, we told our directors and deputies to go around the country for mass sensitisation in markets, churches and mosques for weeks running. We remain focused on the weak and vulnerable even after the 31, we shall ensure new naira permeates every nook and cranny of Nigeria.
“In 2015, there was N1.42trillion currency in circulation and $3.2trillion in 2022. More than double! N2.7trillion of that is outside the banks. People are keeping vaults in their homes. They can’t be banks in their homes. We can’t allow that. They should release it back to the CBN. Ransom and kidnapping are reducing. I could be wrong.
“We have N1.5trillion back in banks and perhaps this week, we hope to get N2trillion in.
“Just bring it, no one will harass you. We’ve begged EFCC and ICPC to let us do our job. And nothing will happen to you. I promise you that on my honour,” he stated.
On the MPC decisions, Emefiele said the committee agreed to raise the interest rate from 16.5percent to 17.5percent, in a move towards taming the raging inflation in Nigeria, currently pegged at 21percent.
The MPC kept the asymmetric corridor at +100/-700 basis points around the MPR.
It also retained the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) by 32.5percent while the liquidity ratio was kept at 30percent.
“Tightening was the way to go. Our inflation target is 7-10percent and so we can’t rejoice at 21percent.
“We can hold or loosen when the inflation rate goes down. But right now, we remain aggressive on rates”, Emefiele explained.
However, the House of Representatives, the Senate and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum have asked the CBN to extend the date to enable more Nigerians get the new notes.
The Senate, yesterday, urged the Central Bank of Nigeria, to extend the mop-up of old Naira notes to July 31, 2023.
The upper legislative chamber, through an adopted resolution, arrived at the new deadline after a thorough debate.
This was against the backdrop of the earlier resolution in December, 2022, which the lawmakers said, was jettisoned by the apex bank.
The denominations of N200, N500 and N1000 notes have been redesigned and are already in circulation.
The redesign has been trailed by heavy criticisms, citing the timing as insensitive as a result of the general election coming up next month.
Meanwhile, the call for fresh extension was fallout of a motion sponsored by Senator Sadiq Suleiman Umar representing Kwara North Senatorial District, in which he said: “the new notes were not enough in circulation”, warning that if the deadline was not extended, there would be chaos in many parts of the country.
The House of Representatives hasalso asked the Central Bank of Nigeria to extend the deadline for acceptance of the old naira notes by six months.
The House also resolved to invite some managing directors of some banks and the CBN to brief the leadership of the House on the availability of the notes.
The decision was sequel to a motion of urgent public importance moved by Sada Soli, a lawmaker from Katsina State.
He stated that the January 31 deadline set by the CBN was not feasible as traders have started rejecting the old notes in his constituency.
He stated that banks and other financial institutions do not have the capacity to deal with the rush.
Speaking in support of the motion, Ahmed Jaha from Borno State informed the House that CBN officials were in his constituency to help, however, the measure was not enough.
“The CBN are in my constituency helping people to swap the old notes. The amount taken to my constituency, the amount is not enough. For 10 years, my constituents have not had access to banks.
“We have a lot to lose if the deadline is allowed to stand,” Jaha said.
The Speaker of the House, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, in his reaction to the motion, said there was a need for an investigation into what was stalling the disbursement of the new notes.
“CBN is making spirited efforts. They were at the central mosques in Lagos. I am not sure if it is enough. As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The timing is what we have problems with.
“There is a need to review the policy. I think there is a need to add another prayer. The bank is saying they don’t have the money but the CBN is saying they have the money. We should invite the bank MDs to brief either the leadership or a small committee,” he said.
The House consequently resolved that an ad-hoc committee headed by the Majority Leader, Hassan Doguwa, should meet with the invited MDs.

News

NDLEA Arrests Four Notorious Female Drug Dealers In Four States

Published

2 days ago

June 8, 2026

The Tide

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested four notorious female drug dealers in Edo, Imo, Kano, and Gombe states.

The Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, made this known in a statement in Abuja, yesterday.

Giving a breakdown, Babafemi said that in Edo, an intense sweep of notorious drug hotspots within Benin City by NDLEA operatives on June 2 led to the arrest of four key traffickers, including three females.

“At Uyosa, Benin City, two female suspects were nabbed with a cocktail of illicit substances, including 176 grams of skunk, 65g of Loud, and 5 grams of Methamphetamine.

“Along Agbor road in Benin City, another female suspect, 21-year-old Anita Abraham, was apprehended with 95 grams of Scottish Loud and 329 grams of regular Loud.

“At Upper Mission, Benin City, a male suspect was arrested with a diverse cache of psychotropic substances consisting of Loud, Colorado, Swinol, and Methamphetamine.

“A swift operation by operatives in Kano State on Thursday, June 4, led to the arrest of a 19-year-old suspect, Saifullahi Lawan at the Kafi area of Madobi, with 40 blocks of skunk weighing a total of 38 kilograms,” NDLEA said.

In a related development, Babafemi said, operatives in Gombe state intercepted a 28-year-old suspect on June 1 near Dantiti Plaza in the Tumfure area of Gombe.

“The suspect was caught with 15,000 capsules of tramadol,” he said.

He said the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands and formations equally continued across the country in the past week.

Reacting to the string of successful operations, the NDLEA Chairman, retired, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa commended the officers, men and women of the Imo, Edo, Kano, and Gombe commands for their resilience and vigilance.

Marwa also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

He re-emphasised that the agency remains fully committed to dismantling drug supply chains and would continue to target traffickers regardless of age, gender, or concealment methods.

News

Navy Intercepts Over 135,000 Litres Of Stolen AGO In Rivers

Published

2 days ago

June 8, 2026

The Tide

The Nigerian Navy says its operatives under Operation Delta Sentinel have intercepted over 135,000 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) during separate operations in Rivers State waterways.

Director of Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said the operations were carried out by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder around the Onne and Abonema axis.

He said the seizures were made during routine patrols aimed at curbing crude oil theft and illegal fuel transportation across creeks in the state.

In one of the operations, naval personnel intercepted a fibre boat at the entrance of Owogono Creek in Ogu-Bolo Local Government Area carrying drums and jerrycans filled with suspected stolen AGO.

According to him, the occupants abandoned the boat and fled into nearby creeks, while the vessel and about 63,000 litres of product were recovered.

In another operation around Abonema in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, patrol teams intercepted a wooden boat conveying about 72,000 litres of suspected illegally refined AGO concealed in sacks.

The Navy said the products were being transported through waterways for onward distribution before the operation disrupted the movement.

Folorunsho said the recoveries highlight the continued exploitation of creek networks by criminal elements for illegal petroleum product transportation.

He added that all recovered items were handled in line with established procedures on anti-crude oil theft operations.

The Navy reaffirmed its commitment to intelligence-driven operations aimed at dismantling illegal oil networks and protecting Nigeria’s maritime economic assets.

News

PERM SEC Tasks PUBLIC SERVANTS TO EMBRACE ACCOUNTABILITY

Published

2 days ago

June 8, 2026

The Tide

The Permanent Secretary of Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr Honour Sirawoo mni, has charged public servants to embrace accountability and prudent management of public resources, stressing that government funds must be utilised responsibly.

Dr. Sirawoo made the assertion during the 41st anniversary of The Rivers State Television (RSTV), in Elelenwo.

He noted that public service demands commitment and sacrifice, urging workers to justify the opportunities entrusted to them through diligengence and productivity.

“All I try to do is to see that we have value for every kobo that we spend and value for our time.

“Government has a social responsibility to provide opportunities, but when you have one, you must guard it through hard work and ensure your presence is justified,” he stated.

The Permanent Secretary further appealed to workers to see themselves as ambassadors of their respective institutions, adding that government remains committed to creating employment opportunities and improving public service delivery.

Also speaking, former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr (Mrs.) Christiana Atako, praised the station’s professionalism and consistency despite operational challenges.

“We have never been disappointed. In spite of all the challenges RSTV had at that time, they never failed us. They carried our stories very well,” she said.

Dr Atako encouraged staff members to continually improve themselves through training, education and professional development in order to remain competitive in the evolving media industry.

Earlier, Acting General Manager of RSTV, Ambassador Paul Damgbor, described the anniversary celebration as an opportunity to reflect on the station’s journey of over four decades and appreciate those who have contributed to its development.

Pastor Damgbor said that the station had recorded remarkable improvements in recent months through the acquisition of digital cameras, computers as well as upgrades in audio and visual production facilities.

“We have seen great change. We were able to get new brand digital cameras and improve on our audio. We have also provided new computers for key departments, including News, Programmes and the Library,” Damgbor remarked.

He also unveiled a commemorative magazine chronicling the history and achievements of the station, describing it as a valuable reference material for preserving RSTV’s heritage.

The Acting General Manager, however, expressed concern over the theft of critical equipment from the station’s transformer, a development he said had forced the organisation to rely heavily on generator power supply.

The Senior Pastor of Gateway International Church, Pastor George Izunma, who gave a short charge during the event, urged media practitioners to uphold the ethics of journalism and remain committed to accuracy in reporting.

“You are pressmen. You are okay to doubt, but verify,” he advised, stressing the importance of credibility and responsibility in the profession.

He equally highlighted the need to “ask the help of God, sow a seed of help, and step into something as if you have help” stressing the need to move by faith for growth.

Some participants at the event also raised concerns about employment opportunities while commending RSTV’s growth and contributions to public enlightenment in Rivers State.

A major highlight of the celebration was the presentation of an award to the Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications in recognition of its diligence and service to the people of the state. Dr Honour Sirawoo also received a special award for his contributions to the growth and development of RSTV.

Awards were equally presented to outstanding members of staff of RSTV for exemplary performance and their dedication to duty.

The event also featured the unveiling and launch of the RSTV commemorative magazine as well as a tour of the station’s newly built cafeteria and other facilities.

The celebration marked another milestone in the station’s 41-year history and reaffirmed its commitment to excellence in public broadcasting.