CBN debunks viral ₦5,000 note featuring President Tinubu as fake

9 Apr 2026

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has dismissed a viral image claiming to show a newly introduced ₦5,000 banknote, labeling the report as fake. 

On Thursday, an image circulated widely across social media platforms with users alleging that the apex bank had released a sample of a ₦5,000 note featuring the portrait of President Bola Tinubu.

The claim sparked a wave of reactions online, with many users debating the authenticity of the supposed currency design. 

One X user wrote, “If he gets re-elected, we might get a ₦5,000 note with his name on it. This level of sycophancy is beyond comprehension.”

However, the apex bank swiftly debunked the report via a post on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, stating, “This content is fake. Let the public be guided.” 

A similar incident occurred in 2025 when the CBN debunked claims that it had introduced ₦5,000 and ₦10,000 banknotes to facilitate cash transactions, describing such reports as entirely false.