CBN Speaks On Deadline For Old ₦200, ₦500, And ₦1,000 Notes

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has officially refuted rumours suggesting that old Naira notes will cease to be legal tender by December 31, 2024.

In a decisive statement issued by the Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali, the CBN declared these claims baseless and misleading, designed to disrupt the nation’s payment systems.

Amidst circulating rumours about the discontinuation of old denominations of ₦200, ₦500, and ₦1,000 banknotes, the CBN has clarified that there is no deadline set for phasing out these notes.

The announcement comes as a relief to many who had been concerned about the potential invalidity of their cash holdings.

“The order of the Supreme Court on November 29, 2023, which extends the use of old banknotes indefinitely, remains in force,” the CBN’s statement emphasized.

This directive ensures that both old and redesigned versions of the Naira will continue to coexist as legal tender across Nigeria.

Mrs. Ali also instructed all CBN branches to keep issuing and accepting both the old and the newly designed Naira notes, reassuring the public of the banknotes’ validity.

She encouraged Nigerians to dismiss any rumours about deadlines for old notes and to remain informed through official CBN communications.

CBN’s stand comes after the House of Representatives asked the apex bank to withdraw old currency notes and increase the issuance of new naira notes.