The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has urged the National Assembly to support its implementation of transformational payments and financial industry initiatives in line with the mandate of the apex bank.

The CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, made the call in his briefing to the House of Representatives plenary on the apex bank’s naira redesign and cashless policies.

According to a statement by the apex bank, Mr Emefiele was represented by the deputy governor, Financial Systems Stability, Aisha Ahmad.

He said the cashless policy would boost economic opportunities for small businesses and rural communities to facilitate trade and improve livelihood, thereby boosting economic growth.

According to him, the reduction of cost of cash management and incidences of crime are some benefits of the cashless policy.

He added that the policy did not prohibit cash transactions above the prescribed limits.

“It is in the public interest to promote an efficient payment system via the cashless policy, which helps reduce the punitive costs of cash processing,” he said.

The CBN governor insisted that the naira redesign and reintroduced cashless policy were apolitical and not targeted at any group.

Mr Emefiele pledged CBN’s flexibility to make the necessary adjustments to ensure wider public acceptance of its policies.

He commended the House of Representatives for its strong advocacy on behalf of the Nigerian people, adding that the new policies would not disenfranchise Nigerians in rural, under-served areas.

“We are committed to the seamless implementation of naira redesign and cashless policies,” he said. 

(NAN)