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The naira (
sign A sign is an object, quality, event, or entity whose presence or occurrence indicates the probable presence or occurrence of something else. A natural sign bears a causal relation to its object—for instance, thunder is a sign of storm, or me ...
: ₦;
code In communications and information processing, code is a system of rules to convert information—such as a letter, word, sound, image, or gesture—into another form, sometimes shortened or secret, for communication through a communication ...
: NGN) is the
currency A currency, "in circulation", from la, currens, -entis, literally meaning "running" or "traversing" is a standardization of money in any form, in use or circulation as a medium of exchange, for example banknotes and coins. A more general def ...
of
Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
. One naira is divided into 100 ''kobo''. The
Central Bank of Nigeria The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is the central bank and apex monetary authority of Nigeria established by the CBN Act of 1958 and commenced operations on 1 July 1959. The major regulatory objectives of the bank as stated in the CBN Act are ...
(CBN) is the sole issuer of
legal tender Legal tender is a form of money that courts of law are required to recognize as satisfactory payment for any monetary debt. Each jurisdiction determines what is legal tender, but essentially it is anything which when offered ("tendered") in pa ...
money throughout the
Federal Republic of Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of G ...
. It controls the volume of money supplied in the economy in order to ensure monetary and price stability. The Currency Operations Department of the CBN is in charge of currency management, through the designs, procurement, distribution and supply, processing, reissue and disposal or disintegration of bank notes and coins.


History

The naira was introduced on 1 January 1973, replacing the
Nigerian pound The pound was the currency of Nigeria between 1907 and 1973. Until 1958, Nigeria used the British West African pound, after which it issued its own currency. The pound was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence. The Nigerian pound (whi ...
at a rate of £1 = ₦2 naira. The coins of the new currency were the first coins issued by an independent Nigeria, as all circulating coins of the Nigerian pound were all struck by the colonial government of the
Federation of Nigeria The Federation of Nigeria was a predecessor to modern-day Nigeria from 1954 to 1963. It was a British protectorate until its independence on 1 October 1960. British rule of Colonial Nigeria ended in 1960, when the ''Nigeria Independence Act 1960 ...
in 1959, with the name of
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
on the obverse. This also made Nigeria the last country in the world to abandon the
£sd £sd (occasionally written Lsd, spoken as "pounds, shillings and pence" or pronounced ) is the popular name for the pre-decimal currencies once common throughout Europe, especially in the British Isles and hence in several countries of the B ...
currency system in favour of a decimal currency system. There was a government plan to redenominate the naira at 100:1 in 2008, but the plan was suspended. The
currency sign A currency symbol or currency sign is a graphic symbol used to denote a currency unit. Usually it is defined by the monetary authority, like the national central bank for the currency concerned. In formatting, the symbol can use various format ...
is . The name "Naira" was coined from the word "Nigeria" by
Obafemi Awolowo Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Oyeniyi Awolowo (; 6 March 1909 – 9 May 1987) was a Yoruba nationalist and Nigerian statesman who played a key role in Nigeria's independence movement (1957-1960). Awolowo founded the Yoruba nationalist group Egbe Om ...
. However, Naira as a currency was launched by
Shehu Shagari Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari (25 February 1925 – 28 December 2018), titled Turakin Sokoto from 1962, was the first democratically elected President of Nigeria, after the transfer of power by military head of state General Olusegun Obasanjo in ...
as minister of finance in 1973. The Central Bank of Nigeria claimed that they attempted to control the annual inflation rate below 10%. In 2011, the CBN increased key interest rate six times, rising from 6.25% to 12%. On 31 January 2012, the CBN decided to maintain the key interest rate at 12%, in order to reduce the impact of inflation due to reduction in fuel subsidies. As of 20 June 2016, the naira was allowed to float, after being pegged at ₦197 to US$1 for several months. Trades speculated the natural range of the naira would be between ₦280 and ₦350 to the dollar. In October 2021, the eNaira, the digital version of the state currency, is officially launched in Nigeria.


Coins

In 1973, coins were introduced in denominations of , 1, 5, 10 and 25 kobo, with the and 1 kobo in bronze and the higher denominations in cupro-nickel. The kobo coins were minted only that year. In 1991, smaller 1, 10 and 25 kobo coins were issued in copper-plated-steel, along with nickel-plated-steel 50 kobo and ₦1. On 28 February 2007, new coins were issued in denominations of 50 kobo, ₦1 and ₦2, with the ₦1 and ₦2 bimetallic. Some Nigerians expressed concerns over the usability of the ₦2 coin. The deadline for exchanging the old currency was set at 31 May 2007. The central bank stated that the to 25 kobo coins were withdrawn from circulation with effect from 28 February 2007. * kobo * 1 kobo * 5 kobo * 10 kobo * 25 kobo * 50 kobo * 1 naira * 2 naira


Banknotes

On 1 January 1973, the Central Bank of Nigeria introduced notes for 50 kobo, ₦1, ₦5, ₦10 and ₦20: in April 1984, the colors of all naira banknotes were changed in an attempt to control
money laundering Money laundering is the process of concealing the origin of money, obtained from illicit activities such as drug trafficking, corruption, embezzlement or gambling, by converting it into a legitimate source. It is a crime in many jurisdictions ...
. In 1991, ₦50 notes were issued, while the 50 kobo and ₦1 notes were replaced by coins in 1991. This was followed by ₦100 in 1999, ₦200 in 2000, ₦500 in 2001 and ₦1,000 on October 12, 2005. On 28 February 2007, new versions of the ₦5 to ₦50 banknotes were introduced. Originally the ₦10, ₦20 and ₦50 were to be
polymer banknote Polymer banknotes are banknotes made from a synthetic polymer such as biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP). Such notes incorporate many security features not available in paper banknotes, including the use of metameric inks. Polymer banknote ...
s, but the ₦5, ₦10 and ₦50 were delayed to late 2009 and only the ₦20 was released in polymer. The notes are slightly smaller (130 × 72 mm) and redesigned from the preceding issues. In mid-2009 when
Sanusi Lamido Sanusi Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (Ajami: سنوسي لاميط سنوسي, ''Muhammadu Sanusi na biyu''; born 31 July 1961), known by the religious title Khalifa Sanusi II (Ajami: خليفة السنوسي), is a spiritual leader in the Tijanniyah Sufi ord ...
took over as CBN Governor, The Central Bank of Nigeria changed the ₦5, ₦10 and ₦50 to polymer notes. On the ₦1,000 notes, there is a subtle shiny strip running down the back of the note to prevent counterfeiting. The strip is a shimmery gold color showing ₦1,000, and has a triangular shape in the middle of the front of the note which changes its color from green to blue when tilted. The main feature on the front is the engraved portraits of Alhaji
Aliyu Mai-Bornu Mallam Aliyu Mai-Bornu (1919 – 23 February 1970) was a Nigerian economist, and the first indigenous Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Life Early life and education Mai-Bornu was born in the town of Yola, Nigeria, Yola to parents of Kanur ...
and Dr.
Clement Isong Clement Nyong Isong, CFR (20 April 1920 – 29 May 2000) was a Nigerian banker and politician who was governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (1967–1975) during the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon. He was later elected governor of Cros ...
, both of which are former governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria. On the first prints of the ₦100 notes issued starting December 1, 1999,
Zuma Rock Zuma Rock is a large natural monolith, or inselberg, an igneous intrusion composed of gabbro and granodiorite, in Niger State, Nigeria. It is located immediately west of Nigeria's capital Abuja, along the main road from Abuja to Kaduna off Madal ...
was captioned as located in
Federal Capital Territory A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...
, while actually it is situated in
Niger State Niger is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria and the largest state in the country. Niger state has three political zones, zone A,B and C. The state's capital is at Minna. Other major cities are Bida, Kontagora and Suleja. It was fo ...
. Later prints removed the reference to FCT, ABUJA. In 2012 the Central Bank of Nigeria was contemplating the introduction of new currency denominations of ₦5,000. The bank also made plans to convert ₦5, ₦10, ₦20 and ₦50 into coins which are all presently notes. The Central Bank of Nigeria has announced that it will no longer issue banknotes on polymer citing higher costs and environmental issues. On 12 November 2014, the Central Bank of Nigeria issued a ₦100 commemorative note to celebrate the centennial of Nigeria's existence. The notes are similar to its regular issue with the portrait of Chief Obafemi Awolowo on the front, but are redesigned to include a new color scheme, revised security features, and the text "One Nigeria, Great Promise" in microprinting. On the back is a
quick response code A QR code (an initialism for quick response code) is a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional barcode) invented in 1994 by the Japanese company Denso Wave. A barcode is a machine-readable optical label that can contain information about th ...
(QRC) which when scanned leads users to a website about Nigeria's history. In 2019, the naira attained a landmark when for the first time, it featured the signature of a woman.
Priscilla Ekwere Eleje Priscilla Ekwere Eleje is the first Director of Currency Operations at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). She is also the first woman to have her signature appended on the Nigeria Currency, the naira note. Background and education Eleje is a nat ...
, the Director of Currency operations of the Central Bank of Nigeria at the time, had the honour.


Second naira

The naira was scheduled for redenomination in August 2008, although this was cancelled by then-President
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (16 August 19515 May 2010) was a Nigerian politician who, was the President of Nigeria from 2007 to 2010. He was declared the winner of the Nigerian presidential election held on 21 April 2007, and was sworn in on 29 May 20 ...
, with 100 old naira to become 1 new naira. The Nigerian Central Bank stated that it would make the naira fully convertible against foreign currencies by 2009. Currently, the amount of foreign currency is regulated through weekly auctions, while the Central Bank sets the exchange rate. The naira appreciated against the dollar through 2007 due to high oil revenues. Also, the then-Bank Governor, Professor
Chukwuma Soludo Charles Chukwuma Soludo (; born 28 July 1960) is a Nigerian politician, banker, and economics professor who has served as governor of Anambra State since March 2022. He is a former governor and chairman of the board of directors of the Centra ...
noted the weekly central bank auctions of foreign currency will gradually be phased out, and that the bank would "only intervene in the market as may be required to achieve defined policy objectives".


Coins

Coins were to be issued in denominations of: - 1 kobo (₦0.01) - 2 kobo (₦0.02) - 5 kobo (₦0.05) - 10 kobo (₦0.10) - 20 kobo (₦0.20) - 50 Kobo (₦0.50) - 1 Naira (₦1) Due to inflation, Nigerian coins are all essentially worthless now. Each coin has an extremely low value.


Banknotes

Banknotes were to be printed in denominations of: * 5 naira (₦5) * 10 naira (₦10) * 20 naira (₦20) * 50 naira (₦50) * 100 naira (₦100) * 200 naira (₦200) * 500 naira (₦500) * 1000 naira (₦1000) **50 kobo & 1 naira — no longer in use **5 naira - had lesser value in 2018, and as of November 2022 has a much weakened purchasing power.


CBN Redesigns Naira in 2022

In 2022, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under President
Muhammadu Buhari Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician and current president of Nigeria since 2015. Buhari is a retired Nigerian Army major general who served as the country's military head of state from 31 December 1983 to 27 Au ...
led administration expressed the decision to redesign the naira as a statutory responsibility and a way to curb the increased circulation of counterfeit notes in the country. The CBN governor, Mr
Godwin Emefiele Godwin Emefiele is a Nigerian banker who has been serving as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria since 4 June 2014. Born on 4 August 1961 in Lagos State, Nigeria, Emefiele is originally from Ika South, Agbor region of Delta State. Educat ...
expressed that the approval for the redesign was granted by the president of the country in fighting corruption, terrorism, kidnapping and other unlawful practices. He said the higher naira denominations have been the denomination mostly used by the perpetrators of the acts which includes N100, N200, N500 and N1,000 notes. President Muhammadu Buhari officially unveiled the new notes at the state house after 19 years since the naira was redesigned. The newly redesigned naira notes will be printed by The
Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company Limited The Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company Limited Plc is the Nigerian banknote printer and mint. It is located in both Abuja and Lagos and is majority-owned by the government of Nigeria. In addition to printing the banknotes and the posta ...
which will make the country one out of the four Africa countries who print their currencies locally and not import from foreign countries. CBN, Nigeria's apex bank, informed the citizens that the new notes will be issued from 15 December 2022 onward, and that old naira notes need to be returned to the banking system before 31 January 2023 when they will cease to be legal tender.


Hidden naira notes

In 2022, Nigeria's central bank expressed the scarcity of the currency due to high volume of the naira kept outside the banking system and attributed to be hoarded by politicians.


Exchange rates

The official exchange rate set by the Central Bank of Nigeria: naira to U.S. dollar is approximately ₦441.33 per 1 US dollar. This rate is almost two times different from the real exchange rate on the black market. The real exchange rate of the naira to U.S. dollar is approximately ₦752.50 per 1 US dollar on black market.The real exchange rate of the naira to U.S. dollar on black market https://usd.currencyrate.today/ngn This table shows the historical value of one U.S. dollar in Nigerian naira. PM = parallel market.


See also

*
Economy of Nigeria The Economy of Nigeria is a middle-income, mixed economy and emerging market with expanding manufacturing, financial, service, communications, technology, and entertainment sectors. It is ranked as the 27th-largest economy in the world in term ...


References


External links


Interview with Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria
on the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
's ''Four Corners'' television program on the scandal involving the transfer from paper to polymer currency in Nigeria {{DEFAULTSORT:Nigerian Naira Circulating currencies Currencies of the Commonwealth of Nations Currency symbols Currencies of Nigeria Currencies introduced in 1973