Nigerian Lenders Frustrating CBDC’s Adoption — Central Bank Governor

Apathetic Nigerian lenders are frustrating the e-naira’s adoption because they are worried this could deprive them of a key revenue source, Godwin Emefiele, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, has said. Emefiele said the central bank is working on a channel that would enable Nigerians without bank accounts to open e-naira wallets. E-Naira Undercuts … Read more

Nigeria Leads Africa in Regulating Digital Asset Space — Securities Regulator

Nigeria has taken the lead in regulating digital assets in Africa, and is one of the countries looking keenly into governing the digital asset space, an executive director with the country’s securities regulator has said. The director also made clarifications on the different regulatory roles played by the central bank and the Nigerian Securities and … Read more

Nigerian Central Bank Governor Says Fintechs and Cryptos Change the Way Financial Systems Function

The Nigerian central bank governor and bitcoin critic, Godwin Emefiele, recently remarked that the rise of fintechs and cryptocurrencies among other technologies have forced banks and financial institutions to change the way they operate. According to Emefiele, this requires the central bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) to rethink the way it regulates the financial system. … Read more

CBDC Ensures Nigeria Remains Competitive in Increasingly Digital World — Central Bank Governor

The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has insisted the recently introduced e-naira digital currency can potentially boost trade and investment activities in the country. He added the digital currency “would be necessary in the future to ensure Nigeria is competitive as the world becomes increasingly digital.” CBDC Gateway to Digital Economy The … Read more

Study Finds 33.4 Million Nigerian Adults Hold or Have Traded Crypto in Last 6 Months

According to a new report, approximately 33.4 million Nigerians, or 35% of the country’s adult population, are holders of cryptocurrencies or have traded them in the past six months. The report attributes the growing adoption of cryptocurrencies to rising inflation and the plunging value of the local currency. Converting From Fiat to Crypto via P2P … Read more

Nigerian Central Bank Wants Financial Institutions to Develop Products Based on Its CBDC

The Central Bank of Nigeria has said it wants players in the country’s payment industry to develop and help introduce products based on its central bank digital currency, the e-naira. Central Bank Open to Suggestions In its bid to deepen the adoption of the e-naira, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has asked payment service … Read more

Nigeria Central Bank Governor: Cryptocurrency Is a Product ‘Embedded in High Level of Illegality’

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, has claimed that a majority of cryptocurrency transactions are embedded in illegality. He also asserts that there is no room for cryptocurrency in the Nigerian banking space. Pushback Against Endsars Protest Claims In his latest anti-cryptocurrency salvo that was published by the Punch, Emefiele however appeared … Read more

Nigeria Central Bank Governor Says CBDC Launch Just ‘a Couple of Days’ Away

The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has confirmed the country’s upcoming digital currency will be launched “in a couple of days from now.” According to the governor, the digital currency which is also known as the e-naira will be the first of its kind in Africa. Nigeria to Launch CBDC … Read more

Nigerian Central Bank Threats Force Parallel Exchange Rate Tracker to Suspend Service

Following threats from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the management of Abokifx, a website that tracks the Nigerian currency’s black market exchange rates, has announced the suspension of their daily updates. This suspension will remain in effect until Abokifx gets “better clarity of the situation,” management said on September 17, 2021. Tracking of Parallel … Read more

Nigerian Currency Plunges to New Low of 570 — 10% of Value Lost in Under 30 Days

The Nigerian currency, the naira, plunged to a new all-time low of N570 for every dollar on September 16, 2021. This new exchange rate means since August 17, the naira has now lost about a tenth of its value on the foreign currency black market. Naira Overvalued In spite of this plunge, which has been … Read more