CBN to sanction banks still loading ATMs with old notes

• ‘Sell new naira notes, go to jail’

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says it will sanction banks that continue to fill their automated teller machines (ATMs) with old naira notes as the January 31, 2023 deadline to phase out the notes approaches.
Director of the Legal Services Department at the CBN, Mr Kofo Salam-Alada, stated this on Wednesday, during a sensitisation event in the Computer Village Market, Lagos.
He said the apex bank was currently monitoring banks still dispensing old naira notes from their ATMs.
He said, “I can tell you today that the CBN on a daily basis issues out the new notes. As we speak, banks are with the CBN taking money. We are actually begging banks to come and take money from the Central Bank. We have these new naira notes in our vaults, and we are begging banks to come and take them.
“We found out that a lot of things are happening that we need to checkmate, so we stopped withdrawal of new notes over the counter to ensure that everyone can have access to it and not one chief who is known to the manager, walks in, and carts away all the new notes in a particular branch. That is why we said it should be in the ATMs, which cannot distinguish people.
“We also have monitors going around banks now. I have been to some ATMs this morning and I have done the reports. We are not mobilising the masses against the banks because the banks are there to serve you, but be rest assured that they will serve you now that they know that the CBN is on them to serve you with the new naira notes.”
When asked why some people were selling the new notes, Salam-Alada said that anyone found selling the new notes or any denomination of the naira would be jailed.
President of the Coalition of Associations in Computer Village, Timi Davies, noted that the new naira notes are a good initiative.
“But unfortunately, the new notes are not well circulated within our market. The ATMs are not dispensing the new notes and only a few privileged ones seem to be having access to the new notes.
“We want to encourage the CBN and the government to enforce the deadline on the banks. There should be no bank that should not be giving the new naira from their ATMs.
“All ATMs should load the new notes. As we are giving the old notes, we should be able to get the new notes. If the ATMs are not dispensing, the new notes will not flow around.”