Myths About Naira Notes and Coins in Nigeria

This piece addresses eight myths about Naira notes and coins. Namely:(i). Retailers round-up prices because of greed. (ii). Note-handling habits of 'market people' deface and mutilate Naira notes. (iii). Commercial banks are not doing enough to sort unfit notes. (iv). Larger denominations will be inflationary. (v). Too many denominations will be confusing. (vi). Large-denomination coins will be melted by metal-smiths for jewellery. (vii). Large-denomination currency notes will encourage counterfeiting. (viii). Use of smart cards will make Nigeria a cashless society. We show why none of these myths have any basis in fact or logic, and what the central bank should do to solve the problems that it inappropriately attributes to coins, notes, market people, retailers, and/or banks