The human rights lawyer recalled how the Federal Government and China entered into a currency exchange agreement five years ago.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called on the Nigerian business community to insist on transacting business in naira, including using the same to pay for goods imported from China.
In a statement made available to the media on Monday, Falana recalled how the Federal Government and China entered into a currency exchange agreement five years ago.
He noted that the transaction which was valued at RMB 16 billion or N720 billion was aimed at providing adequate local currency liquidity to Nigerian and Chinese industrialists and other businesses, reducing difficulties encountered in the search for the United States Dollar.
The swap was also designed to improve the speed, convenience, and volume of transactions between the two countries.
But according to the learned silk, “the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, which superintend the Central Bank of Nigeria, have colluded with the Central Bank of Nigeria to frustrate the currency swap”.
Falana also noted that using the Freedom of Information Act, he recently wrote to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to confirm the status of the currency swap agreement between Nigeria and China.
The human rights activist argued that despite the confirmation that the agreement is still valid and subsisting, the CBN still does not allow Nigerians to transact business in China by paying naira, a situation which he said necessitated his call for Nigerian businesses to insist on transacting business in Naira, including payment for goods imported from China.
See the full statement below:
NIGERIANS SHOULD INSIST ON TRANSACTING BUSINESS WITH CHINESE PEOPLE IN NAIRA
By
Femi Falana SAN
About five years ago, the Federal Government of Nigeria and China entered into a currency exchange agreement. The transaction, which was valued at Renminbi (RMB) 16 billion or N720 billion was aimed at providing adequate local currency liquidity to Nigerian and Chinese industrialists and other businesses, thereby, reducing difficulties encountered in the search for the United States Dollar. The swap was also designed to improve the speed, convenience, and volume of transactions between the two countries.
But the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, which superintend the Central Bank of Nigeria, have colluded with the Central Bank of Nigeria to frustrate the currency swap. The purpose of the economic sabotage is to promote the dominance of the United States Dollar in Nigeria. Hence, the federal government, state governments, and the business community have been prevented from transacting business in Naira and Yuan. Thus, by compelling Nigerians to pay dollars for goods imported from China, the Central Bank has continued to promote the unwarranted dollarisation of the Nigerian economy.
I was recently compelled to exercise my right under the Freedom of Information Act by requesting the Central Bank to furnish me with information on the status of the currency swap agreement between Nigeria and China. In its reply to my letter, the Central Bank confirmed that the currency swap agreement will not be due for renewal until 2024.
In spite of the confirmation of the currency swap, the Central Bank has not allowed Nigerians to transact business in China by paying Naira. However, since the currency swap is valid and subsisting, I call on the Nigerian business community to insist on transacting business in Naira, including payment for goods imported from China.
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