Naira Scarcity: Tinubu Suggests Use Of Old And New Notes For One Year

To address current scarcity of Naira, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has suggested that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) should allow the old and new Naira notes to coexist as legal tender for the next 12 months.

Tinubu said that this will help to address growing tension in the country as a result of the scarcity, eliminate panic reactions by the populace and allow time to scale up infrastructural gaps around alternative payment options to cash.

The former Lagos State Governor stated this in a statement on Sunday titled “Let Us Make the Best of this Moment”, which was signed by him.

“Following the advice of the Council of States, the CBN should announce that the old and new Naira notes (especially the non-withdrawn notes and coins) will co-exist as legal tender for the next 12 months to follow examples of countries that have successfully implemented similar monetary policy. This will immediately remove growing tension in the country, eliminate panic reactions by the populace and allow time to scale up infrastructural gaps around alternative payment options to cash,” he said.

Tinubu advised that associated charges on online transactions and bank transfers and payments via POS should be suspended until the current crisis is fully resolved, adding that the cost should be considered a roll-out expense by the CBN to incentivise the envisaged shift to alternative transaction channels; for both the financial services consuming public and those in charge of implementing the scale-up programme.

He also also suggested mobilisation of all Money Deposit Banks, payment platforms to show clear commitment and timelines on expanding their infrastructure and support services.

Another suggestion made by the presidential candidate is that Fintech companies with capabilities into currency swap programme should be brought in for the next 90 days to help decongest banking halls and ATM points where people line up for hours.

He called on the CBN and other relevant MDA’s to form an Inter-Agency Action Committee for immediate oversight over the cash supply gaps from the Nigerian Security and Minting Company and deal with issues around capabilities and turn around time to meet the needs of the informal sector and unbanked people.

Tinubu further asked the CBN, National Orientation Agency and Ministry of Information, State and Local Governments with their relevant organs in both the public and private sectors to begin public enlightenment and sensitisation campaign to further educate and empower the populace on the new naira and cashless policy for better understanding and mainstream adoption.

Tinubu who has constantly criticized the Naira policy of the apex bank, however, said that he has nothing against it.

According to him, he is only concerned about disruptive implementation and the hardship the policy has brought on the generality of Nigerians who “currently can’t access their hard-earned money to meet obligations and the attendant consequences on the informal sector, where majority operate.”

“The past few weeks have been a challenging one for Nigerians especially our SME’s, poor and vulnerable masses and those whose very survival depend on daily cash transactions. They have felt the brunt of the combined problems of scarcity of fuel and new Naira notes.

“We feel the pains of our market women and artisans who have experienced low sales because customers do not have cash to make purchases. We hear the loud cries of farmers in rural areas and hinterlands who have been forced to sell their produce at much lower prices so they don’t lose out completely. We hear every Nigerian dealing with the consequences of the roll-out of the cash swap programme.

“While the scarcity arising from the supply limitations of the new naira notes is still with us, we are encouraged about reports that the fuel queues across the country are easing out as a result of better supply to fuel stations. We are now confronted with how to bring quick, sustainable solution, and relief to Nigerians on the challenges still posed by the non availability of new Naira notes, so that social and economic activities can move on unimpeded and normalcy can immediately return to our financial services sector and overall productivity of our nation.

“In seeking a quick resolution, the National Council of State met on Friday, February 10, 2022 and advised the government and Central Bank in particular, to push more new Naira notes into circulation and also allow for the old notes to remain a legal tender by ensuring supply gaps relative to infrastructural limitations are bridged by recirculating it to ameliorate the pains caused by the scarcity of new ones. We agree with the wisdom of the Council of States as a necessary starting point to begin redressing the unintended consequences of what would have otherwise been a good policy that required mainstream adoption,” Tinubu said.

“As leaders, our commitment to our country everyday must be on how to make life better for our people and we are called upon not to waste the opportunity the moment presents to us to ramp up capacity and capability to serve 200 million Nigerians, leaving no one behind and ultimately improve the living conditions of every single Nigerian. Our task now is to restore hope in the country by implementing these steps to energise our people that we can do big things for a better future and shared prosperity. We can build upon this citizen-focused policy challenge to offer a template on how governance should work for the people,” he added.