CBN launched a nationwide campaign urging Nigerians to handle the naira responsibly and protect its value.
Officials warned careless treatment raises costs, weakens confidence and undermines the currency’s national importance.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has launched a nationwide campaign urging Nigerians to handle the naira with greater care, warning that neglect and abuse of the national currency increase costs and erode public confidence.
The appeal was made in Abuja on Wednesday during the official start of the sensitization drive tagged “Naira Our Pride: Handle with Care.” Speaking on behalf of Deputy Governor (Operations Directorate) Dr. Bala Bello, the CBN’s Director of Currency Operations and Branch Management, Dr. Adedeji Adetona, said the naira is more than just a medium of exchange it symbolizes Nigeria’s collective identity and sovereignty.
He noted that common practices such as folding, tearing, spraying at events, writing on notes, or mutilating them damage the currency and inflate the costs of maintaining it. According to him, if citizens continue to treat the naira poorly, the cost of printing and replacing notes will keep rising, daily transactions will become more difficult, and confidence in the currency will weaken.
Adetona emphasized that the CBN alone cannot reverse this trend and appealed to banks, market associations, transport operators, schools, religious groups, civil society, and the media to support the initiative. He said banks must ensure clean notes circulate, markets and transport unions should discourage abuse or rejection of naira notes, and ordinary Nigerians must consider themselves guardians of the national currency.
The Deputy Governor also warned against hoarding cash, especially as the festive season approaches. He said keeping excessive cash out of circulation denies others access and strains the financial system. Instead, he encouraged people to embrace responsible cash usage and adopt digital payment alternatives.
He stressed that proper handling of the naira would extend its lifespan, cut costs, and preserve its status as a national symbol. The sensitization effort, he said, would reach all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
In his welcome remarks, Adetona, represented by Deputy Director Kazeem Olatinwo, said the exercise goes beyond clean notes to promoting public confidence in the banking system and reinforcing national pride. He assured Nigerians that the CBN has made sufficient arrangements to meet the demand for cash during the yuletide season, but urged citizens to handle their notes carefully to keep them fit for use.
Also speaking at the event, Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Hakama Sidi-Ali, highlighted that issuing legal tender and maintaining clean notes are statutory responsibilities of the apex bank. She called on Nigerians to take ownership of efforts to protect the naira’s integrity and embrace alternative payment channels to reduce the heavy reliance on cash.
