Leader of Nigerian Crypto Stakeholders’ Body Welcomes the E-Naira — Says It ‘Comes With No Magic Wand’

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 in Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria (SIBAN), the success of such a … Read more

Nigerian Crypto Exchange Boss: CBN Directive Led Shift of Trades From Centralized Exchanges to Black Market Exchanges

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 of peer-to-peer trading. ‘Central Bank of Nigeria’s Actions … Read more

Nigerian Central Bank Stops Forex Sales to Bureaus de Change — Operators Accused of Feeding Black Market

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 the scarce resource to so-called “illegal” dealers. … Read more

Nigeria’s June P2P Bitcoin Trade Volumes Surged Again Despite Central Bank’s Crypto Restrictions

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 volumes nearly surpassed the $38 million … Read more

Nigerian Twitter Suspension Has Unintended Effects on Country’s Crypto Community

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 may have presented the Nigerian government with the perfect excuse … Read more

Nigerian Currency Overvalued by 10% Says Central Bank Governor

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 again. Another Naira Devaluation Loading As previously reported by Bitcoin.com … Read more

Nigerian Learning Institution Says It Now Accepts Crypto as Payment for School Fees

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 parents and guardians of the students. Move Consistent With Global Trends As reported by the … Read more

Report: Nigerian NFT Artists Thrive Despite Bubble Fears and Ongoing Central Bank Anti-Crypto Restrictions

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 explains, growing interest in NFTs from Nigerian artists comes alongside warnings … Read more

New World Bank Report: Nigeria’s Exchange Rate Policies Fueling Inflation, Affecting Food Prices

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 of food and agricultural inputs like fertilizer.” Misaligned Exchange Rates … Read more

Nigerian Central Bank Threatens Jail Time for Citizens Caught Defacing Naira Banknotes

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 spray and sell the naira notes.” He adds … Read more