Scarcity: CBN directs bank to open Saturdays, Sundays, load ATMs

The Central Bank of Nigeria has directed commercial banks to open for operation on Saturdays and Sundays in order to ease the circulation of naira.

The CBN said it had released banknotes from its vaults to commercial banks across the country.

A statement by the CBN acting Director, Corporate Communications Department, Isa AbdulMumin, said this on Friday.

The statement noted that, a substantial amount of money, in various denominations, had been received by commercial banks, for onward circulation to their respective customers, even as it prevailed on banks, to conduct physical operations in banking halls through the weekends.

According to him, the CBN had directed all banks to load their Automated Teller Machines, as well as conduct physical operations in the banking halls through the weekends.

The statement reads partly, “Branches of commercial banks will operate on Saturdays and Sundays to attend to customers’ cash needs,,, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, will personally lead teams to monitor the level of compliance by the banks in various locations across the country.”

The CBN spokesman, urged Nigerians to be patient as the current situation would ease soon with the injection of more banknotes into circulation.

Recall that the Nigeria Labour Congress had directed its members to prepare to picket the offices of the CBN nationwide over cash scarcity next week.