Business

Naira Redesign : Finance Minister disowns policy

Published

3 years ago

October 29, 2022

….warns CBN of consequences

Forty Eight hours after announcement of Naira redesign fixed for December 15, 2022 by the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN), the Minister of Finance , Budget and National Planning , Zainab Ahmad , has disowned the policy .

The Minister who commented on the policy in response to question raised by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele ( APC Ekiti Central) during 2023 budget defence session she had with the Senate Committee on Finance , warned CBN of consequences that may arise from it .

Senator Bamidele had in his question , told the Finance Minister that barely two days after announcement of the policy by CBN , repercussion of it on the value of Naira to US dollar was being felt .

” Just two days after announcement of the policy , value of Naira to a US dollar has risen from N740 to N788 to a US dollar due to rush in exchange of stacthed Naira Notes for foreign currencies , particularly dollar .

” To me , the policy may be a well conceived one , but the timing going by realities on ground , is very wrong as the Naira may fall to as low as N1,000 to a US dollar before January 31, 2023 fixed for full implementation of the policy “, he said .

Surprisingly the Minister in her response said She and her Minister , are not aware of the policy but only heard of it from the media .

” Distinguished Senators , we were not consulted at the Ministry of Finance by CBN on the planned Naira redesigning and cannot comment on it as regards merits or otherwise .

” However as a Nigerian privileged to be at the top of Nigeria’s fiscal management , the policy as rolled out at this time , portends serious consequences on value of Naira to other foreign currencies.

“I will however appeal to this committee to invite the CBN governor for required explanations as regards merits of the planned policy and rightness or otherwise of its implementation now “, she said .

The CBN Governor , Godwin Emefiele had on Wednesday said that the apex bank would redesign the country’s currency from 200 Naira denomination to N1,000 notes .

He said that the action was taken in order to take control of the currency in circulation just as he posited that the bulk of the nation’s currency notes were outside bank vaults and that the CBN would not allow the situation to continue.

The planned policy he added , was in line with Sections 19, Subsections a and b of the CBN Act 2007, upon which the Management of the CBN sought and obtained the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari to redesign, produce, and circulate new series of banknotes at N200, N500, and N1,000 levels.

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Business

Democracy Day: Fiscal Discipline Key To Nigeria’s Sustainable Devt – Auditor-General

Published

6 days ago

June 12, 2025

The Gleamer

…Urges National Assembly to Pass Audit Bill 2022

Joseph Bisi

As Nigerians commemorated a historic milestone in their collective pursuit of a more socio-economically robust nation, the Auditor-General for the Federation (AuGF), Shaakaa Kanyitor Chira, has implored the nation’s leaders and citizenry to intensify their efforts in championing the cause of fiscal discipline and accountability within the public finance system. In a brief conversation with journalists to mark the 2025 ‘Democracy Day’ on Thursday, the AuGF commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its ongoing fiscal and tax reform initiatives, describing these measures as essential for enhancing the nation’s revenue generation and budgetary expenditures. Chira explained that transforming the potential benefits of these reforms into tangible gains for the citizenry required more transparent fiscal mechanisms for the monitoring and evaluation of government expenditures, including the auditing processes and the timely appraisal of the Audit report by his Office, free from political interferences. He said: “Today’s Democracy Day is worthy of celebration, given the political history of the country and the prospects for sustainable development. Over the past few years, we have witnessed a series of reform initiatives by both past and present administrations aimed at improving the nation’s fiscal system, particularly under President Bola Tinubu, based on the current Tax Reforms and Fiscal Policy Bills that are being finalized by the National Assembly. “Let me emphasize that these measures are not merely desirable for Nigeria’s sustainable development; the enactment of the four pivotal bills will significantly contribute to stabilizing the financial system while also promoting transparency in public finance and prudent governance at all levels of government throughout the country. “It is imperative to underscore, however, that the role of the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (OAuGF) in achieving these laudable objectives may be impeded if the Audit Bill currently before the National Assembly is not enacted into law. “The passage of the Bill, which seeks to augment the AuGF’s role in ensuring accountability, transparency and value for money in government expenditure while empowering the AuGF with administrative and financial autonomy, is crucial for enhancing transparency and accountability within Nigeria’s public finance system that aligns with International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions (ISSAIs). “Therefore, I seize this opportunity to appeal to our lawmakers in the National Assembly to prioritize the passage of the Audit Bill as a strategic legislative initiative to achieve the commendable goals of the Tax Reforms and Fiscal Policy Bills they are presently finalizing,” the AuGF added.Experts are of the view that the Auditor-General’s call for the passage of the Audit Bill 2022 aligns with the OAuGF Strategic Plan 2024-2028, which encapsulates the objectives of the Office being the Supreme Audit Institution(SAI) of Nigeria, aimed at enhancing public sector governance and accountability. The four principal objectives of the Strategic Plan include Goal 1: Focusing on the enhanced independence and mandate of the OAuGF; Goal 2: to mitigate mismanagement of public funds through more robust follow-up on audit recommendations; Goal 3: to ensure improved financial reporting within the public sector; and Goal 4: to establish the OAuGF as a model institution not only in Nigeria but on a global scale.

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