CBN launches countdown clock showing days left till new Naira notes

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has launched a countdown clock showing when the old Naira would stop being a legal tender.

The countdown clock is visible on the home page of the CBN’s website and it shows January 31, 2023, as the deadline for the N200, N500, and N1,000 notes to “remain legal tenders.”

The Backstory

In October, the apex bank announced that it would redesign the N200, N500, and N1,000 notes.  The apex bank also set December 15, 2022 as the official start day for circulating the new Naira notes.

The policy sent shockwaves to the forex market, causing the Naira to hit its lowest point of N910/$1 at the black market, as many people rushed to exchange their Naira for USD. The Naira has since recovered to trade at N680/$1.

Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, had explained that the decision to redesign the Naira notes was made to ensure macroeconomic stability. He said the goal was to create a strong, stable, and resilient economy that is self-sufficient and capable of weathering unexpected shocks.