The Nigerian Security Printing and Minting (NSPM) has revealed that the ink stains from the newly recoloured naira notes are security features that will enable Nigerians to easily identify fake naira notes.

Disclosing this information in a statement on Friday in response to Nigerians’ concerns on the quality of the newly designed naira notes, the managing director of NSPM, Ahmed Halilu, confirmed that the ink-staining naira notes were made of the same materials as the old ones and went through the same printing and finishing processes.

Mr Halilu asserts that the new naira notes’ ability to leave intaglio ink traces when rubbed on completely white surfaces serves as a security feature that makes it simple to spot counterfeit money.

“The second stage of currency printing (intaglio) requires a heavy deposit of special inks with fairly large particles to give a tactile feeling of the portraits as well as other raised prints by way of design,” the NSPM MD said.

“One of the properties of intaglio inks is non-solubility in water and ease of transfer (light stain) on plain white materials owing to the size of the particles.This is generally a security feature of all banknotes that easily differentiates them from forged or counterfeited notes,” he added.

His remark comes as Nigerians continue to voice concern about the new naira notes’ durability.