Currency in circulation dropped to N2.39tn in August – CBN

The currency in circulation dropped by N25.03 billion from N2.39 trillion as of the end of July to N2.36 trillion as of the end of August, latest figures from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) revealed on Thursday.

At the end of May, the figure which was N2.35 trillion rose to N2.29 trillion as of the end of June.

The currency-in-circulation on quarter-on-quarter basis fell by 6.0 per cent to N2.29 trillion at the end of March 2020, compared with a decline of 7.5 per cent at the end of the first quarter of 2019.

According to the CBN’s monthly economic report for May, extensive cash reserve ratio debits on banks that failed to comply with policy directives increased the monetary authority’s liabilities to other depository corporations and increased reserve money in May 2020.

Reserve money grew by 5.9 per cent to N12.96 trillion compared with a growth of 20.7 per cent in April 2020.

It said that at N10.61 trillion, liabilities to other depository corporations surged 70.5 per cent above the preceding month’s growth rate of 59.7 per cent.

The report said, “The heightened uncertain outlook due to the lockdown, encouraged more cash to be held by the public.

“This was evident from the increase in currency in circulation, compared with the level in the preceding month.

“Currency in circulation rose by 2.0 per cent to N2.35tn at end-May 2020, compared with the increase of 0.5 per cent at end-April 2020.”

Currency in circulation is defined as currency outside the vaults of the central bank; that is, all legal tender currency in the hands of the general public and in the vaults of the Deposit Money Banks, according to the apex bank.