looking back,
as far as the memory serves,
( .. and if the memory serves correctly .. ),
the ONE NAIRA NOTE was used with much liking and much appreciation
by Nigeria citizens and Nigeria residents
all along from 1973 when the GENERAL YAKUBU GOWON administration introduced it
through 1984 when the Military Government of Nigeria Army General
GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI,
Miltary Ruler and Military Head of State i.e Head of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Nigeria, Western Africa, Africa
and
Commander in Chief, Supreme Military Council ( SMC ), Federal Republic of Nigeria
changed it’s appearance / colours
to 1991 when the
first and only DIARCHY GOVERNMENT of Nigeria History →→→
( i.e the first and only GOVERNMENT and/or ADMINISTRATION in all of Nigeria’s history thus far from 1960 till date 2020 that had
both Military / Armed Forces Personnel and Civilians / Politicians ruling the country at the same time and in the same government / administration.
at this period, for example,
Nigeria Army General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida [ IBB ] was President of Nigeria and
Nigeria Civilian Politician Chief ( Alhaji ) Bola Ahmed Tinubu was a Senator
and Nigeria was running a Government and/or Administration that had
█ Military / Armed Forces Personnel as President and Governors of the States
and
█ Civilian Politicians as members of the House of Assembly and the House of Representatives
.. if the memory serves correctly .. )
→→→ i.e the joint Military and Civilian Government of Nigeria Army General
GENERAL IBRAHIM BABANGIDA
first and only MILITARY PRESIDENT ( thus far i.e till date 2020 )
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Nigeria, Western Africa, Africa
and
Commander in Chief, Armed Forces Ruling Council ( AFRC ), Federal Republic of Nigeria
introduced the ONE NAIRA COIN and the FIFTY KOBO COIN
( 100 KOBO = 1 NAIRA )
( 50 KOBO = 0:50 NAIRA )
which replaced both the dynamic, superb and entrepreneurial?
ONE NAIRA NOTE
and
it’s proven associate? the equally dynamic, superb and highly mercantile? FIFTY KOBO NOTE.
one thing about the IBB GOVERNMENT / ADMINISTRATION which made
IBB himself very, very, very popular throughout all Nigeria at the time ( 1985 – 1993 i.e 8 years )
and
made his Government / Administration very popular and acceptable to the people throughout all Nigeria at the time ( 1985 – 1993 i.e 8 years )
was that
IBB had a way and a style of reaching out to the people and carrying them along
especially when he wanted to take far-reaching decisions and highly important decisions.
for example, he carried Nigerians along
● when IMF (by force?) wanted Nigeria to de-value the strength of the Nigeria Naira and also take an IMF loan
and
● when the political? future? for Nigeria was being looked at and he allowed and encouraged National Conference debates across all Nigeria then which involved the people
… if the memory serves correctly.
surprisingly,
and as it eventually turned out, unfortunately, for the
ONE NAIRA NOTE and FIFTY KOBO NOTE,
on this very important economic and financial issue of
the value, advisability and/or otherwise of
changing the format / presentation of the highly dynamic and absolutely superb NIGERIA ONE NAIRA NOTE and FIFTY KOBO NOTE
from PAPER FORMAT to COIN FORMAT
IBB did not carry the people along and did not involve them in any national debate in this issue or in the process of arriving at a decision as to what Nigeria should do on this matter.
and many believed that that is why the project failed.
and that that is why IBB has an X-mark / result for this project instead of a ✓– good mark / result which he have very easily got if he had only just carried the people along on this one.
because the people
.. including all the Nigeria experts on economics, finance, business, administration, commerce, banking, etc ..
.. and ordinary Nigeria people ..
could have told him how they feel about it and what they feel about it and what they think about it and he could have listened to all they were saying and from there arrived at a decision.
in any case, the IBB Military and Civilian Diarchy Government introduced solid, heavy, high-quality, high-grade, shining metal coins as ONE NAIRA and FIFTY KOBO in 1991
and the Nigeria people said that
● the coins were very beautiful
● the coins were very solid and very high grade
but
●● they were too heavy to carry around and to be used for every day transactions
for example, whereas before
a trader can/could easily put 100 ONE NAIRA NOTES inside the pocket of his shoh-koh-toh ( sokoto i.e trouser ) and cover it with his boo-bar ( buba i.e top / shirt? )
or
a market-woman can easily put 100 ONE NAIRA NOTES inside her rah-pah ( wrappa i.e wrapper / waist-cloth ) and fold it there or even inside her brassiere inside her blouse sometimes
it is/was not easy to carry 100 ONE NAIRA NOTES like that
or
to carry 500 or 1000 ONE NAIRA NOTES like that either for that matter.
and so Nigeria residents and Nigeria citizens rejected the coins.
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