CBN reveals security features of new naira notes

To save Nigerians from fallen victims of fake naira notes, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has released the security features of the new naira notes.

This was made known in a document released by the Apex Bank on Tuesday.

The security features of the new Naira notes show 23 features on the N1,000 note, 15 features on the N500 note and 10 features on the N200 note.

The release of the security features has brought relief to many Nigerians who have demonstrated fear over counterfeiting of the Naira notes.

One of such people is Olachi Obina, Lotto operator who said, “I don’t like it because it can easily be faked.”

According to the CBN, the naira banknotes are protected by a number of security features to enable the easy recognition of genuine notes. The distinguishing features which can be recognized by touch and visibility are the raised print, the security thread and the watermark. Other areas such as the portrait, lettering and the denominational numerals on the obverse and reverse of the notes are embossed. The raised prints provide the tactility, while the security thread, which ordinarily looks broken but is not when held up against light, has “CBN” in small lettering printed on both sides of the notes.

The Naira notes are also protected against photocopying. There are also features, which are visible under ultraviolet light; for example, the serial number on each banknote is black, but turns green under ultraviolet light.

Hope Moses-Ashike

Hope Moses-Ashike is an Associate Editor, Banking and Finance, with more than a decade of experience reporting on Nigeria’s financial system and broader economy. She closely tracks market movements, monetary policy decisions, company disclosures, regulatory actions, economic indicators, and global developments, and interprets what they mean for businesses, investors, policymakers, and households. Her reporting helps readers understand complex issues such as inflation trends, foreign exchange market dynamics, interest rate decisions, bank performance, and investment risks. She also covers major international events and periodically travels to Washington, D.C., to report on the World Bank/IMF Spring and Annual Meetings. Her dedication to financial journalism has earned her multiple recognitions and invitations to high-level professional development programmes. She is an alumna of the International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP) in the United States and holds an Advanced Financial Journalism Certificate from the Press Association Training in London, UK. Her other notable achievements include completing the Lagos Business School CMC Programme, the Bloomberg Media Africa Initiative Programme, and a Master Class in Journalism at Rhodes University in South Africa.