Business

Edo: Traders Reject Old Notes, Residents Groan Over Buhari’s Stance On S’Court Judgement

Published

2 years ago

March 9, 2023

Bank customers in Benin, the Edo State capital, on Thursday, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to come out and address Nigerians on his stance on the recent declaration of the Supreme Court judgement asking Nigerians to use the old and the redesigned naira notes side-by-side till December 31, 2023 and save Nigerians from the current financial hardship.

Speaking, one of the bank customers, Elvis Omoregie, said after the Supreme Court judgement that made the old naira notes legal tender, some banks have started dispensing it to their customers.

He said, however, customers worry is that, traders have refused to accept it as a means of payment for goods and services.

According to him when he took the old naira notes withdrawn from the bank to the market, he was told that the president has not told Nigerians that the money is now a legal tender and that it could be used side-by-side with the redesigned naira notes.

“Just yesterday, I went to the First Bank to withdraw money only for me to be paid the sum of N10,000 and N8000 of it was old N500 denominations while N2000 was new naira notes.

“To me, it is quite unfortunate. The old naira notes, you take it to the market, they will not accept it from you and the banks that pay you the money will also tell you that even though they pay you with the old money, you cannot bring it back to them as a form of deposit and that they will not accept it from you until you pass through the Central Bank of Nigeria processes.

“It is sad. You do not do that. Fine, CBN has issued a statement that they have complied with the Supreme Court ruling and why can’t the commercial banks do the same by following the order?

“Why are they stressing the citizens of the country? To me, it is not the best. They should do something about it. As I speak with you, since yesterday, the N8000 they paid me at the bank, I am yet to spend it. No one is ready to collect the money from me. As I speak with you, I am stranded.

” Let the federal government of Nigeria come out and say something. Let them give Nigerians hope, let Mr. President come out and issue a statement even if he cannot come out directly just as he did the other time, let him through his media aide issue a statement compelling the banks or the Central Bank to do more by the way of cushioning the plights of Nigerians”, Omoregie said.

Also speaking Nurudeen Hassan, said if the commercial banks can give out the old naira notes, they should be able to accept them as deposit at the bank and not asking depositors to take it to CBN.

“I was at one of the branches of GTB this morning to queue up for what we have been doing for the past three weeks to collect the sum of N10,000 but to my surprise the branch manager came to tell us that they will be paying with the old naira notes but if we are returning it, we should take it to the CBN.

“So, we felt that this is not good enough for us. Once you can give, you should be able to accept it again.

” We are appealing to the authority concerned to come out and give a clear statement on what to be done to reduce the suffering of Nigerians as regards to this redesigning of this naira.

“We want the federal government to issue a statement and order the banks to give and to accept”, Hassan said.

Business

Naira Appreciates At Official Market

Published

2 weeks ago

May 24, 2025

Editor

The Naira, which has seen steady appreciation against the Dollar all week, closed stronger on Friday, trading at ₦1,580.44 in the official forex market.

Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s website show the Naira gained ₦4.51k against the Dollar on Friday alone.

This marks a 0.28 per cent appreciation from Thursday’s closing rate of ₦1,584.95 in the official foreign exchange window.

The local currency maintained consistent strength throughout the week, recording gains daily.

On Monday, May 19, it traded at ₦1,598.68; on Tuesday, at ₦1,590.45; and on Wednesday, at ₦1,584.49.

These gains suggest increased investor confidence and improved forex supply, contributing to the naira’s performance.

Meanwhile, the CBN, at its 300th Monetary Policy Committee meeting held Monday and Tuesday, retained the Monetary Policy Rate at 27.5 per cent.

Business

BREAKING: Again, Dangote Refinery Cuts Petrol Price

Published

3 weeks ago

May 22, 2025

Editor

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced a nationwide reduction in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, with new prices now ranging between ₦875 and ₦905 per litre, depending on location.

The ₦15 per litre cut applies across all regions and partner fuel stations, and was confirmed via an official announcement posted on Dangote Refinery’s social media channels on Thursday.

Major marketers participating in the new pricing regime include MRS, Ardova, Heyden, Optima Energy, Techno Oil, and Hyde Energy — partners in the distribution of Dangote-refined products.

Under the previous pricing structure, Lagos residents paid ₦890 per litre, while prices reached ₦920 in the North-East and South-South regions. With the latest adjustment, Lagos now pays ₦875 per litre, while the North-East and South-South will see prices drop to ₦905.

A regional breakdown of the revised prices is as follows: Lagos: ₦875, South-West: ₦885, North-West & Central: ₦895, North-East & South-South: ₦905 and South-East: ₦905.

In its announcement, Dangote Refinery encouraged consumers to purchase fuel only from authorised partner stations and urged the public to report any cases of non-compliance via its official hotlines: +234 707 470 2099 and +234 707 470 2100.

“Our quality petrol and diesel are refined for better engine performance and are environmentally friendly,” the company said.

Business

Naira Appreciates Against Dollar At Foreign Exchange Market

Published

3 weeks ago

May 17, 2025

Editor

The Naira ended the trading week on a positive note, recording a bullish close on Friday at the official foreign exchange market.

It appreciated N1,598.72 against the U.S. Dollar, reflecting a modest gain that suggests continued efforts to stabilise the local currency.

According to figures published on the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official website, the Naira strengthened by N0.60k against the Dollar on Friday.

This upward movement represents a 0.03 per cent appreciation compared to the N1,599.32 exchange rate recorded at the close of trading on Thursday.

The local currency had shown some resilience earlier in the week, posting gains on both Tuesday and Wednesday trading sessions.

On Tuesday, the Naira appreciated by 0.02 per cent, followed by a stronger gain of 0.21 per cent on Wednesday.

These improvements were seen as positive indicators of growing investor confidence and increased supply in the foreign exchange market.

However, Thursday’s trading session saw a minor setback, with the Naira slipping by N2.62 against the Dollar.

This loss equated to a 0.16 per cent depreciation, dampening the midweek rally seen in previous sessions.

Market analysts attributed Thursday’s dip to a brief increase in Dollar demand from importers and other market participants.

Despite this, the week still closed on a positive note, with the Naira showing signs of gradual recovery and increased market stability.

Analysts continue to monitor the Central Bank’s policies, especially interventions aimed at improving Dollar liquidity and managing demand pressures.

The Naira’s performance in the coming weeks will likely depend on consistent supply inflows and investor sentiment across the broader economic landscape.