Marks 1st anniversary
The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, in collaboration with Bizi Mobile Cashless Conduct has onboarded Keke Napep drivers and traders in Oshodi market on the eNaira platform to drive it’s adoption in Lagos State.
The eNaira is a CBN issued digital currency that provides a unique form of money denominated in Naira, serving as both a medium of exchange and a store of value, offering better payment prospects in retail transactions when compared to cash payments.
The apex bank also extended the onboarding exercise to the Orile area of the state.
Speaking at the event, Director Information Technology Department, CBN/Co-ordinator Technical Working Committee eNaira Secretariat, Hajiya Rakiya Mohammed, noted that the apex bank has carried out awareness and onboarding of citizens on the eNaira platform in many states.
Represented by Dr. Khalifa Nuhu, from the Information Technology Department, CBN, Mohammed said: “This is part of many initiatives we have been doing across many states. Today we are in Lagos to continue this national assignment. It is our hope that today this activity will also increase other people’s awareness and Lagos being a commercial hub in this country will also help us to campaign the awareness across the country.
‘‘The beauty about e-naira is it is not a very technical application in terms of how you access it.
“You can access e-naira through multiple channels. You can access it using an android phone or a smartphone if you are good with that.’’
eNaira’s 1st anniversary
Meanwhile, the CBN has unveiled a programme of events to commemorate the first anniversary of the eNaira, which was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari October 25, 2021.
A statement by the Director, Corporate Communications Department, Mr. Osita Nwanisobi, in Abuja, last weekend indicated that the implementation of the eNaira had put Nigeria in the global spotlight as Africa’s First Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).
This, he said, had continued to attract the interest of global stakeholders such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, other Central Banks, and the CBDC community.
As part of activities lined up to mark the anniversary, the director said that the CBN would hold a one-day workshop themed “Leveraging Innovation for Inclusive Growth and Development: The eNaira Advantage” scheduled to take place on Tuesday October 25, 2022 at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The objectives of the workshop include the review of the eNaira implementation journey, one year after; to drive further adoption of the eNaira through public engagement; and to facilitate global policy dialogue on CBDC to promote peer learning and benchmarking.
According to Nwanisobi, the event would be hosted by the Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, while the Ministers of Communication and Digital Economy and Humanitarian Affairs would be speakers at the event.
Other key participants at the event include the Chief Executives of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS), the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), members of the Bankers’ Committee, the academia, financial services, and telecommunications regulators, merchants, agents, cooperative groups and technical experts, and the entertainment industry.
The event would also feature a policy round-table discussion on “Effective Collaboration for National Development (Infrastructure, Interoperability, regulation)” and a panel discussion on “eNaira Adoption for economic growth”.
Vanguard