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Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele has said there is no good news to shift the deadline to retrieve old denominations of 200, 500 and 1,000 Naira notes from circulation.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Mr Emefiele made the disclosure at the 289th Post-MPC Press Briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
Emefiele stressed there was no reason to begin to talk about a shift for people to be able to deposit the old currencies and receive the new Naira notes.
“I must say that unfortunately, I don’t have good news for those who feel that we should shift the deadline. My apologies.
“The reason is that just as the President has said on more than two occasions, and even to people privately, 100 days is enough for anybody who has the old currency to deposit in the bank.
“We took every measure to ensure that all the banks are open to receive all old currencies. We believe 100 days is more than adequate,” Emefiele said.
The CBN Governor further disclosed that the apex bank had mandated the DMBs to feed the new notes into their Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) for Nigerians to have equal access.
“We have increased disbursement of the new notes to them. There is an adequate quantity of new notes available.
“Our mint is producing and we are supplying the banks. We have super agents in underserved areas like riverine communities, and CBN staff members have been out on mobilisation.
“We believe that by January 31, the new naira notes would have permeated the nooks and crannies of the country,” he said.
He said that the CBN had so far received about N1.5 trillion of the old Naira notes.
He urged Nigerians to accelerate the process of taking their old notes to the banks before the deadline, adding that they should not fear harassment by security agents.
“We have begged the EFCC and the ICPC to allow Nigerians deposit their old Naira notes,” he said.
TNG reports the CBN redesigned the 200, 500 and 1,000 Naira notes in 2022 and pegged 31st January 2023 to withdraw the old notes from circulation.