New naira notes crumble business activities in Anambra 

By Amaechi Percy Onyejekwe, Awka

As efforts to get the new naira notes hit the rocks, business activities on Friday crumbled in Anambra State as banks continue to issue the old naira notes to their customers.

Traders in the state lament that the commercial banks refuse to issue them with the new naira notes. 

Traders in most of the markets in the state refused to open shops and those who opened refused to accept the old notes citing the unavailability of the new naira notes as the cause. 

Recall that the CBN had earlier warned customers to return the old banknotes in the N200 to N1000 denomination to the bank saying they would stop being legal tender from January 31, 2023.

Despite the  CBN  directive commercial banks in Anambra have continued to issue their customers with the old naira notes even as of yesterday.

This development has cast doubt in the minds of customers on the sincerity of the government and the banks on the issuance of the new naira notes. 

Yesterday, markets in Anambra were scantily opened as some traders refused to open shops saying the non-availability of the new naira notes was the cause.

“I don’t want to waste my money. Today is Friday, a weekend. Okay, tomorrow is Saturday [and] next is Sunday. Then after that is Monday, a sit at home. When will I go to the bank and collect the unavailable new naira notes? Nnaeke, a shoe dealer in Nnewi asked.