The Kaduna State government has instructed its ministries, departments and agencies to accept payments in both old and new naira notes, contrary to the President’s directive. The order follows a Supreme Court ruling that affirmed the legality of old‑naira notes as legal tender.
In a statement titled “KDSG asks agencies to accept payments in old and new notes,” Governor Nasir El‑Rufai’s Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Muyiwa Adekeye, explained that, “in line with the subsisting order of the Supreme Court, the Kaduna State government has directed its ministries, departments and agencies to ensure that their collection agents continue to accept payments made in all denominations of the naira, old and new.” He added that state law does not permit government personnel to handle cash collection directly; instead, authorized collection agents provide citizens with a means to pay in cash and must comply with the court order.
President Muhammadu Buhari had previously announced that the old N500 and N1,000 banknotes were no longer legal tender, allowing only the old N200 note to remain valid for 60 days, until 10 April 2023, and urging Nigerians to deposit the discontinued notes with the Central Bank of Nigeria. In defiance of this directive, Governor El‑Rufai urged residents of Kaduna State to continue using the old naira notes and criticized the federal government for ignoring the Supreme Court order that prevents it from banning those notes.
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