London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Dec 25, 2025

Nigeria launches a central bank digital currency, eNaira, amid hope, scepticism - and plenty of uncertainty

Nigeria on Monday became the first African nation to launch a digital currency - the eNaira - a move its leaders said will expand access to banking, enable more remittances and even grow the economy by billions of dollars.

And here is how the Central Bank of Nigeria explains it:


CBN eNaira wallet become di first digital currency to go live in Africa.

Na di Central Bank of Nigeria [CBN] dey issue di eNaira and e get di same same value as di fiat Naira.

eNaira na digital currency wey dey use block chain technology and na Nigeria first digital currency platform.

CBN say eNaira go provide "unique form of money wey dey denominated in Naira".

President Muhammadu Buhari officially lunch di digital currency on Monday October 25, 2021 for state House Abuja.

CBN eNaira wallet suppose guarantee secure, faster and more convenient transactions, according to banks.

Di eNaira wallet na digital storage wey dey hold di eNaira. E go dey for and dey managed on a distributed ledger.

Di Central Bank of Nigeria say e don receive more dan five thousand downloads of di e-Naira within few hours of di launch.

Di bank say charges on any transaction on di e-Naira platform go be free for di first 90 days.


How to use e-Naira - Nigeria digital currency
eNaira na di digital form of di cash and na direct liability on Central Bank of Nigeria.

Customers go fit access eNaira through di eNaira wallet for app stores like Google Play store and Apple App store.

Once customer get access to di wallet, dem fit use eNaira wallet to receive and send money.

Di customer deposit go be direct liabilities on di financial institutions like di deposit banks and CBN.

Users fit also dial a USSD short code and follow di required steps to perform transactions.

Di eNaira get di same value as di physical naira. As such, e go dey exchanged one Naira to one eNaira.

Commercial deposit banks say transaction wit e-Naira fit guarantee;
•Instant settlement
•99.9% service availability and reliability
•Low charges
•No dispensing errors
•No reconciliation issues
•Low charges
•Nationwide acceptance
•No dispensing errors
•Advanced data privacy and security


Di objectives of eNaira na to:

Aid financial inclusion
Improve payment efficiency
Improve revenue and tax collection, targeted social interventions
Diaspora payment
Di eNaira app (named 'Speed') go dey available for download on Google Playstore or Apple Store.
To access to use and spend di eNaira go get type by type based on di role of each participant, according to di Central Bank of Nigeria guideliens.
eNaira category of users
Financial Institutions (FIs)
Di registration of dis FIs na CBN go automatically do am.
Merchants
Merchants - dat na those wey go fit operate di eNaira wallet other than financial organizations, na FIs upon downloading di "eNaira Speed go do am.


Dem gatz access Merchant App" from di app stores and fulfillment of di following requirements:
a) Provision of all mandatory information;
b) Acceptance of the Terms and Conditions of eNaira speed app;
c) Acceptance of the Privacy Policy of eNaira speed wallet; and
d) Validation and activation by their preferred FI.

MDAs
Ministries Department and Agencies na CBN go automatically wen dem reveieve di correct mandate.

Consumers
Consumer wey wan use di eNaira wallet go be automatically do so as self-service.

Dis self-service upon downloading of di "eNaira Speed App" from di app stores and fulfillment of di following requirements:


a) Provision of all mandatory requirements;
b) Acceptance of the Terms and Conditions of eNaira speed app; and
c) Acceptance of the Privacy Policy of eNaira speed app.


eNaira mandatory requirements to fit use am
For a successful self-service enrollment for di eNaira Speed App, di mandatory
requirements for some BVN details must match similar details attached to di consumer
profile at di BVN database.


Di relevant information for a successful BVN validation check na:
a) First Name;
b) Last Name;
c) Date of Birth (DD/MM/YYYY);
d) State of Origin;
e) Email; and
f) Phone Number.


eNaira Unique Identifier for users
Di TIN, NIN and/or BVN na im dem go use as unique identifiers:


a) TIN go be for corporate entities;
b) NIN and/or BVN go be for individuals; and
c) BVN go be for merchants wey no be corporate entities.
eNaira Unique Identifier for users
Di TIN, NIN and/or BVN na im dem go use as unique identifiers:
a) TIN go be for corporate entities;
b) NIN and/or BVN go be for individuals; and
c) BVN go be for merchants wey no be corporate entities.

eNaira Transaction Types
Di many types of transaction for eNaira wallet.

Consumer Transactions

Di following go dey available to individual consumers on di eNaira platform:
a) Person to Person (P2P);
b) Person to Business (P2B) / Business to Person (B2P);
c) Person to Government (P2G) / Government to Person (G2P);
d) Cash or Bank account to eNaira speed wallet;
e) eNaira speed wallet to cash or bank account; and
f) Any other services as may be approved by the CBN from time to time.

Merchant Transactions
Di following go dey available to merchants on di eNaira platform:

a) Merchant/Business to bank account;
b) Merchant/Business to Person (M/B2P); and
c) Cash or bank account to eNaira speed wallet.
Merchants go sweep dia till balance(s) into dia FIs accounts on a daily basis.

FI Transactions
Di following go dey available to FIs on di eNaira platform;
a) FIs to CBN / CBN to FI;
b) FI to Government / Government to FI;
c) FI to Business / Business to FI; and
d) FI to Customer / Customer to FI.


MDA Transactions
Di following go dey available to MDAs on the


eNaira platform:
a) MDAs to Person / Person to MDAs;
b) MDAs to MDAs;
c) MDAs to FIs / FIs to MDAs;
d) MDAs to CBN / CBN to MDAs; and
e) MDAs to Businesses / Businesses to MDAs.

eNaira Charges and Cost Structure
Di charges for transactions wey go start from di eNaira platform go dey free for di
first 90 days commencing from October 25, 2021.

And then e go revert to applicable charges as outlined in di Guide to Charges by Banks, Oda Financial and Non-bank Financial Institutions.

eNaira Transaction and Balance Limits
Di transaction and balance limits for individual and merchant eNaira wallets dey below as follows:

Category Daily Transaction Limit Balance/eNaira Speed Wallet Limit:
Tier 0
(Phone number without verified NIN)
N20,000.00 to N120,000.00
Tier 1
(Phone number with verified NIN)
N50,000.00 to N300,000.00
Tier 2
N200,000.00 to N500,000.00
Tier 3
N1,000,000.00 to N5,000,000.00
Merchant
No Limit to No Limit

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Mortgage Rates Edge Lower as Bank of England Base Rate Cut Filters Through Lending Market
U.S. Supermarket Gives Customers Free Groceries for Christmas After Computer Glitch
Air India ‘Finds’ a Plane That Vanished 13 Years Ago
Caviar and Foie Gras? China Is Becoming a Luxury Food Powerhouse
Hong Kong Climbs to Second Globally in 2025 Tourism Rankings Behind Bangkok
From Sunniest Year on Record to Terror Plots and Sports Triumphs: The UK’s Defining Stories of 2025
Greta Thunberg Released on Bail After Arrest at London Pro-Palestinian Demonstration
Banksy Unveils New Winter Mural in London Amid Festive Season Excitement
UK Households Face Rising Financial Strain as Tax Increases Bite and Growth Loses Momentum
UK Government Approves Universal Studios Theme Park in Bedford Poised to Rival Disneyland Paris
UK Gambling Shares Slide as Traders Respond to Steep Tax Rises and Sector Uncertainty
Starmer and Trump Coordinate on Ukraine Peace Efforts in Latest Diplomatic Call
The Pilot Barricaded Himself in the Cockpit and Refused to Take Off: "We Are Not Leaving Until I Receive My Salary"
UK Fashion Label LK Bennett Pursues Accelerated Sale Amid Financial Struggles
U.S. Government Warns UK Over Free Speech in Pro-Life Campaigner Prosecution
Newly Released Files Shed Light on Jeffrey Epstein’s Extensive Links to the United Kingdom
Prince William and Prince George Volunteer Together at UK Homelessness Charity
UK Police Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’ as Authorities Recalibrate Free Speech Enforcement
Scambodia: The World Owes Thailand’s Military a Profound Debt of Gratitude
Women in Partial Nudity — and Bill Clinton in a Dress and Heels: The Images Revealed in the “Epstein Files”
US Envoy Witkoff to Convene Security Advisers from Ukraine, UK, France and Germany in Miami as Peace Efforts Intensify
UK Retailers Report Sharp Pre-Christmas Sales Decline and Weak Outlook, CBI Survey Shows
UK Government Rejects Use of Frozen Russian Assets to Fund Aid for Ukraine
UK Financial Conduct Authority Opens Formal Investigation into WH Smith After Accounting Errors
UK Issues Final Ultimatum to Roman Abramovich Over £2.5bn Chelsea Sale Funds for Ukraine
Rare Pink Fog Sweeps Across Parts of the UK as Met Office Warns of Poor Visibility
UK Police Pledge ‘More Assertive’ Enforcement to Tackle Antisemitism at Protests
UK Police Warn They Will Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’
Trump Files $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against BBC as Broadcaster Pledges Legal Defence
UK Says U.S. Tech Deal Talks Still Active Despite Washington’s Suspension of Prosperity Pact
UK Mortgage Rules to Give Greater Flexibility to Borrowers With Irregular Incomes
UK Treasury Moves to Position Britain as Leading Global Hub for Crypto Firms
U.S. Freezes £31 Billion Tech Prosperity Deal With Britain Amid Trade Dispute
Prince Harry and Meghan’s Potential UK Return Gains New Momentum Amid Security Review and Royal Dialogue
Zelensky Opens High-Stakes Peace Talks in Berlin with Trump Envoy and European Leaders
Historical Reflections on Press Freedom Emerge Amid Debate Over Trump’s Media Policies
UK Boosts Protection for Jewish Communities After Sydney Hanukkah Attack
UK Government Declines to Comment After ICC Prosecutor Alleges Britain Threatened to Defund Court Over Israel Arrest Warrant
Apple Shutters All Retail Stores in the United Kingdom Under New National COVID-19 Lockdown
US–UK Technology Partnership Strains as Key Trade Disagreements Emerge
UK Police Confirm No Further Action Over Allegation That Andrew Asked Bodyguard to Investigate Virginia Giuffre
Giuffre Family Expresses Deep Disappointment as UK Police Decline New Inquiry Into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Claims
Transatlantic Trade Ambitions Hit a Snag as UK–US Deal Faces Emerging Challenges
Ex-ICC Prosecutor Alleges UK Threatened to Withdraw Funding Over Netanyahu Arrest Warrant Bid
UK Disciplinary Tribunal Clears Carter-Ruck Lawyer of Misconduct in OneCoin Case
‘Pink Ladies’ Emerge as Prominent Face of UK Anti-Immigration Protests
Nigel Farage Says Reform UK Has Become Britain’s Largest Party as Labour Membership Falls Sharply
Google DeepMind and UK Government Launch First Automated AI Lab to Accelerate Scientific Discovery
UK Economy Falters Ahead of Budget as Growth Contracts and Confidence Wanes
Australia Approves Increased Foreign Stake in Strategic Defence Shipbuilder
×