•Report by Kamil Opeyemi
Amidst worries over the deadline for Nigerians to deposit their old Naira notes for new ones, a former President of the Civil Liberties Organisation, Mrs. Ayo Obe, has corrected Chairperson of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa over her belief that Nigerians in the Diapora have no business worrying over exchange of the notes.
A Nigerian living abroad, Collins Udoh, had complained of the fact that there was no suggestion from the Central Bank of Nigeria or any other government agencies talking about how those outside Nigeria would change their Naira notes.
“I have some old naira notes with me. So far, I haven’t seen or heard of any plans by the Central Bank of Nigeria for folks in diaspora with old naira notes to exchange theirs,” he Udoh had stated
Dabiri, in her reaction, to the tweet asked whether Nigerians in the Diaspora keep or spend Naira notes in their domains.
“Do Nigerians in diaspora keep or spend Naira notes abroad? Am I missing something?” she responded
However, Obe while replying the NiDCOM chairperson, said Nigerians in Diaspora often have currency whenever they visit Nigeria with a sole aim of spending it in their next visit adding that such currency is not likely to be huge amounts.
Sharing her personal experience, Obe disclosed that she collected some currencies from her family members in the UK last year.
She expressed worries that those who do not have such opportunity of swapping may be stocked with old notes.
“They often have such currency from visits to Nigeria which they plan to spend on their next visit home. It isn’t likely to be huge amounts, but I collected some from my family’s UK branch last year. Those who don’t have such an opportunity may be stuck with old notes,” Obe stated