The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has announced that the old naira banknotes of N200, N500 and N1,000 will remain a legal tender till further notice.
The apex bank in a statement signed by its Director, Corporate Communications, Isa AbdulMumin, said deadline of December for discontinuation of use of the old notes have now been extended indefinitely.
The statement reads; “This is in line with international best practices and to forestall a repeat of earlier experiences.
Thus, 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 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.”
