President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, February 16 addressed Nigerians following the crisis that has erupted over the Naira swap policy.
In his speech, the President extended the validity of the old N200 notes till April 10.
The president directed the CBN to allow the old N200 co-exist with the newly redesigned N200, N500 and N1000 notes.
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The President apologised to Nigerians over the difficulty experienced in the implementation of the naira redesign policy.
“To further ease the supply pressure, particularly on our citizens, I have given approval to the CBN that the old N200 bank notes be released back into circulation and it should also be allowed to circulate as legal tender with the new N200, N500 and N1,000 bank notes for 60 days from February 10, 2023 to April 10, 2023 when the old N200 note ceases to be legal tender,” he said.
"I have given approval to the CBN that the old N200 bank notes be released back into circulation and that it should also be allowed to circulate as legal tender with the new N200, N500, and N1000 banknotes for 60 days from Feb. 10, 2023 to April 10 2023."- President @MBuhari
— Government of Nigeria (@NigeriaGov) February 16, 2023
The President had on February 3 appealed to Nigerians to give him seven days to resolve the cash crunch after the Nigeria Governors’ Forum urged him to allow all old notes to circulate in the system to ease the hardship on ordinary Nigerians.
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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had extended the deadline for the swap of old N200, N500, and N1,000 from January 31 to February 10 following complaints by many Nigerians but the Supreme Court held that the Federal Government, the CBN, commercial banks must not continue with the deadline pending the determination of a notice in respect of the issue.
