Business
A novice’s guide to understanding eNaira
Finally, it’s live! The long-awaited and much-anticipated eNaira has officially been launched. While I have written a number of articles on the eNaira, one thing I have noticed is that a lot of people are still finding it hard to grasp the idea behind the Central Bank Digital Currency.
It is perfectly understandable that there are still citizens who are yet unclear about the nature of the eNaira and, more importantly, how to use the digital currency. In most cases, some need to be convinced as to why they should join the race to download the eNaira app and what this will mean for their business. There are valid concerns, if I may say so.
Hence, in this piece, I attempt to demystify the eNaira, explain what it is and what it is not while giving a brief analysis of how to make or accept transactions using the eNaira.
Dissecting the eNaira
The eNaira is a digital version of the paper naira issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Playing a purely complementary role to the naira, the digital currency will have equal value as physical cash that we use in our day-to-day activities.
Contrary to what many think, the eNaira is not a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin or any other kind of crypto. It is not decentralised and cannot be privately controlled the way cryptocurrencies are.
However, like these currencies, the eNaira is built on a blockchain open ledger technology; this is to ensure that a holder of the CBDC cannot have a duplicate or fake eNaira because each eNaira note will be unique.
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Another concern that comes to mind is the stability of the eNaira. Before venturing into the unknown, especially in financial matters, security and stability are matters of key interest for any party in a given business transaction. When it comes to the eNaira, people want to know if it is a stable coin.
Keep in mind that a stablecoin is a cryptocurrency backed by reserves that are currencies or other assets, such as gold, that can be readily transferable and are used to balance transactions and payments anywhere in the world – case in point, the US dollar.
Stablecoins refer to cryptocurrencies that seek to attach their market value to some external reference. An example of a stablecoin is the USDT, which is tied to a currency, the US dollar, and maintains a stable exchange value.
The eNaira technically is linked to the FIAT naira; and as we know from personal experience, the naira is not exactly stable. So, for the eNaira to be stable, it then has to be linked to a universally stable currency like the US dollar or euro.
The eNaira is designed for all whether you are an individual, consumers, merchants, government ministries, departments and agencies, licensed financial institutions, and even the central bank itself.
Using the eNaira for transactions
Imagine you want to send N100 to your aged mother in one remote village where there are no bank branches. A common process is to buy a recharge card of the same value, text to her mobile phone, after which she goes to any phone card retailer and exchanges her N100 credit for N95 in cash.
Rather than go through all that, you only need to debit your bank account for N100, convert it to eNaira, and transfer it to your mother. Having received the money, she can spend it directly from her phone or exchange it for cash. To enjoy this service, you need to have an eNaira wallet into which you store and use your digital currency.
In the case of a person-to-person transaction, holders of the eNaira wallet can easily transfer eNaira to another holder. In a simple process, it is possible to credit your eNaira wallet from your account within the same bank or a different bank account. While you cannot cash out from eNaira to physical cash, you can do so from your eNaira wallet to your cash within the same bank or another account in a different bank.
The same straightforward process applies also when making person-to-merchant payments, government-to-citizen, or citizen-to-government payments. With the e-Naira, you can make or receive salary payments, and payments for goods and services can be concluded.
Taking full advantage of eNaira
The eNaira has a cutesy tagline, ‘Same Naira, More Possibilities’. No doubt this is to inspire trust while encouraging the mass adoption of digital currency. Anyway, it has a low-cost advantage in comparison to FIAT.
For one, traders will pay no fees for withdrawals and deposits to and from their bank account; that in itself is a massive incentive. In line with Nigeria’s financial inclusion agenda, the e-Naira will also onboard millions of the unbanked – Nigerians who have mobile phones but without bank accounts. Though formerly unable to enjoy financial services in their entirety, these ones will be brought into the formal financial economy.
Artisans including plumbers, tailors, carpenters and fashion designers can accept payments on their phones, store them in their wallets, and make transactions with any vendor or customer.
Also, the eNaira will be upgraded, and when this is done, it will allow for cross-border transactions. This means that eNaira can be used by any two-party actors who can credit a Nigerian banking institution with corresponding currency. To illustrate, a trader banking with UBA in Kenya can settle his import bills from the Democratic Republic of Congo using e-Naira.
Interestingly, because many citizens lack trust in financial institutions, eNaira will make it possible for customers to monitor their wallets, balances, and transaction history in real time.
On the one hand, by integrating into the CBN’s forex process, the digital currency will make it easier for remittances to flow into Nigeria. On the other, Nigerians in the diaspora can send funds to friends or relatives through international money transfer organisations who will buy eNaira from their corresponding Nigerian banks.
The problem of accessibility
Having gained more understanding about eNaira, compared to when you started reading this piece, perhaps you wish to experiment with this idea. The question on your mind might be how to get the eNaira. To access the eNaira, you need to download the ‘speed wallet’, which allows you to conduct transactions with speed and ease.
Before you make that decision, however, reports have it that the eNaira speed wallet pulled a disappearing act from the Google Play Store barely 48 hours after its launch. Conversely, the eNaira merchant wallet is still up and running with over 10,000 downloads.
While some users have complained about poor user experience, others are pretty distrustful of the terms, conditions, and disclaimer notice given by the CBN.
I believe these are fixable issues, and since we live in a digital world that is increasingly becoming cashless, the eNaira project, to all intent and purposes, is a boon to the Nigerian economy.
In my next piece on the ICT Clinic column, I will explore the possibility of the eNaira becoming a world-class digital currency and the importance of local collaboration in driving Nigeria’s vibrant financial sector forward.
CFA is co-founder of techbuild.africa & blockbuild.africa, platforms deepening Africa’s tech ecosystem & godohub.org, a social enterprise supporting innovation in Africa.
Punch
Aviation
Disaster averted as bird strike hits Abuja-Lagos Air Peace flight
Disaster averted as bird strike hits Abuja-Lagos Air Peace flight
An Abuja-Lagos flight was on Thursday aborted following a bird strike on the airplane belonging to Air Peace, forcing the authorities to ground the aircraft.
The bird strike experienced in the early hours reportedly prompted a ramp return to ensure the safety of passengers onboard.
All the passengers quickly disembarked and were calmed down before they were moved into another plane for the one-hour journey.
A bird strike is a collision between a bird and an aircraft, or other airborne animal, while the aircraft is in flight, taking off, or landing. And it can be a significant threat to aircraft safety.
Air Peace in a statement by its Head of Corporate Communications, Ejike Ndiulo, said the bird strike occurred at 6:30am, and all passengers disembarked normally.
The statement read, “We wish to inform our esteemed passengers that our Abuja- Lagos 06:30 flight experienced a bird strike before take-off, prompting a ramp return as a safety measure. All passengers disembarked normally.
“We have deployed a replacement aircraft for the affected flight in order to minimize disruptions, thus ensuring that passengers continue their journeys promptly.
“We appeal for the understanding of our valued passengers impacted by this development, as well as those on other flights that may experience delays.
“At Air Peace, we are committed to providing safe, comfortable, and reliable air travel for all our passengers.”
Business
NNPC achieves 1.8mbpd crude oil production
NNPC achieves 1.8mbpd crude oil production
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and its partners have revved up crude oil and gas production to 1.8million barrels per day (mbpd) and 7.4standard cubic feet per day (scfd).
The company which announced this at a press briefing said the feat was achieved in compliance with the mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking on the development, the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mele Kyari, congratulated the Production War Room Team that anchored the production recovery process.
“The team has done a great job in driving this project of not just production recovery but also escalating production to expected levels that are in the short and long terms acceptable to our shareholders based on the mandates that we
have from the President, the Honourable Minister, and the Board,” Kyari explained.
Giving details of the efforts of the Production War Room, the Chief War Room Coordinator and Senior Business Adviser to the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Lawal Musa, disclosed that the feat was achieved through the collaborative efforts of Joint Venture and Production Sharing Contract partners, the Office of the National Security Adviser, as well as government and private security agencies.
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He said the interventions that led to the recovery of production cut across every segment of the production chain with security agencies closely monitoring the pipelines.
He stressed that when the Production War Room team was inaugurated on 25th June 2024, production was at 1.430mbpd, but the team swung into action, culminating into sustaining the production recovery to 1.7mbpd in August and hitting the current 1.808mbpd in November.
“We are confident that with this same momentum and with the active collaboration of all stakeholders, especially on the security front, we can see the possibility of getting to 2mbpd by the end of the year,” he stated.
Also speaking on the development, Chairman of the NNPC Ltd Board of Directors, Chief Pius Akinyelure, who also congratulated the team, said he was happy to be part of the production recovery process, adding: “today, I will leave this place with my heart full of joy”.
He charged the Company’s Management to come up with a cashflow projection based on the new production figures to facilitate planning, stressing that he was looking forward to further production increase to 3mbpd.
On his part, the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the team and pledged the Federal Government’s support for the company to do more.
NNPC achieves 1.8mbpd crude oil production
Business
FG gets fresh $134m loan from AfDB for agric projects
FG gets fresh $134m loan from AfDB for agric projects
The Federal Government has secured a loan facility of $134million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to help farmers boost seeds and grain production in the country.
This is contained in a statement issued by Anthonia Eremah, Chief Information Officer, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, on Thursday, in Abuja.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, made his know at the unveiling of the 2024/2025 National Dry Season Farming in Calabar, Cross River State capital.
Kyari explained that with the re-introduction of the national dry season farming to boost year-round agricultural production, the loan would be handy and guarantee national food security in the country.
The minister said the initiative is under the National Agricultural Growth Support Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) Project.
He said the federal government had declared an emergency on food production to enable all Nigerians to get easy access to quality and nutritional food at affordable rates.
Kyari also said government wants to use the agricultural sector for national economic revival through increase in production of some staple food crops such as wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, soybean, and cassava during both dry and wet season farming.
He added that 107,429 wheat farmers were supported under phase 1 of the 2023/2024 dry season, and 43,997 rice farmers under the second phase of the 2023/2024 dry season.
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The minister said recently, government supported 192,095 rice, maize, sorghum/millet, soyabean and cassava farmers under the 2024 wet season across the 37 States including the FCT.
He said Cross River was leading 16 other states in wheat production, adding that over 3000 wheat farmers have been listed to benefit from the support to grow the grain.
Kyari noted the Cross River government’s commitment to wheat production.
He said it informed why the federal government is partnering with the state to kick start the maiden wheat production and enlisting them among states commencing the current 2024/2025 dry season farming.
“The 2024/2025 dry season farming, the project is targeted to support 250,000 wheat farmers across the wheat-producing states with subsidised agricultural inputs.
“This is to cultivate about 250,000 hectares with an expected output of about 750,000 metric tonnes of wheat to be added to the food reserve to reduce dependence on importation of the product and also increase domestic consumption.
“Equally the programme will provide support to 150,000 rice farmers under the second phase to cover all the 37 states, including FCT, with an expected output of about 450,000 metric tonnes,” he said.
FG gets fresh $134m loan from AfDB for agric projects
(NAN)
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