After Central Bank Devalues Naira by 5% Finance Minister Attributes Drop to ‘Market Forces’

Nigerian Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed has denied widespread reports that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had sanctioned the devaluation of the local currency sometime in May 2021. Instead, she attributes the naira’s fall to the “volatility in the oil price.” Ahmed’s remarks come just a few weeks after the official naira exchange rate dropped … Read more

The CBN Says Nigeria Will Have a Digital Currency Before End of Year

Nigeria is likely to have its own central bank digital currency (CBDC) by the end of the year, an official with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said. In his remarks following the bankers’ committee meeting, Rakiya Mohammed, who is the director of information technology at CBN, also revealed that this “digital currency would … Read more

Nigerian Lawmakers Slam Naira Devaluation, Warn of Inflation Implications

Nigeria’s House of Representatives has moved a motion calling on the country’s central bank to end the continuing devaluation of the naira. In his unanimously adopted motion, House Representative Bamidele Salam warned the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) of the negative “implications of further devaluing the naira.” Lawmakers Slam CBN U-Turn The House’s warning follows … Read more

African Fintech Start-up Chipper Cash Raises $100 Million — CEO Says No Crypto Services for Nigeria

Chipper Cash, an African fintech firm that specializes in facilitating cross-border payments, recently closed a $100 million Series C funding round. Taking the lead in what is now Chipper Cash‘s third fundraising round in the past twelve months is the venture capital (VC) firm, SVB Capital. The VC firm is an investment arm of U.S. … Read more

Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Says “Digital Currency Will Come to Life” but Attacks Volatile Cryptocurrencies

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, says digital currency “will come to life even in Nigeria” just a few months after the central bank ordered banks to stop serving the crypto industry. While acknowledging his country’s position as one of the leading crypto markets in the world, Emefiele however insists his organization is … Read more

Nigeria Bureau De Change Association Boss Accuses Speculators of Destabilizing the Naira— Says Central Bank Funding Will End Currency Woes

According to the head of the Nigerian group of bureau de change operators, the naira’s continued fall on the parallel market is down to the activities of speculators. However, Aminu Gwadabe, the president of the Association of Bureau de Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), suggests that only a “massive funding” of bureau de change (BDC) … Read more

Nigeria Devalues Currency as Central Bank Moves to Unify Exchange Rates

In a possible policy shift, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently allowed the local naira currency to briefly drop to a new low of USD$1 for 419.75 nairas on May 14, 2021. However, by close of business the naira had recovered and was trading around 411.25. Before the latest adjustment, the naira had fluctuated … Read more

Nigeria’s Cryptocurrency Traded Volumes on P2P Platform Top $1.5 Billion

According to Paxful, a peer-to-peer trading platform, Nigeria’s cryptocurrency traded volumes on the platform topped $1.5 billion in the first four months of the year 2021. This figure represents almost a third of Paxful’s global total volume of $5 billion. This latest traded volume figure once again reaffirms Nigeria’s status as one of the exchange’s … Read more

Nigeria Stopping the Rejection of Old or Torn USD Notes Underlines Why Crypto Is a Better Reserve Currency

In early April 2021, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) issued a circular warning Nigerian institutions to stop the practice of rejecting old or lower denomination USD notes. The CBN issued the warning after it became “inundated with complaints from members of the public on the rejection of such notes by banks and other authorized … Read more

Nigerians Shun Local Currency— Seek to Protect Wealth From Inflation and Currency Depreciation with Foreign Currency

Nigerians are thought to be accumulating foreign currencies which they believe will protect their wealth from the naira’s volatility as well as the surging inflation. Further, as a research paper in a journal published by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) found, Nigerians’ use of dollars exceeds IMF’s 30% threshold. Exchange Rate Volatility and Currency … Read more