Old Design Naira Banknotes will Continue as Legal Tender till further notice- CBN
The Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) has said that following the introduction of the redesigned N200, N500
and N1,000 denominations in October 2022, certain deadlines were set for the
old design of these denominations to cease as legal tenders.
In a statement by the apex bank’s Director of Corporate Communications, Dr Isa AbdulMumin, the CBN said 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, as this is in line with international best practices and to forestall a repeat of earlier experiences.
Consequently, 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.
The statement said 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 general public is enjoined 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.
