In the first 24 hours after it was unveiled, the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), also known as the eNaira has continued to attract the interest of Nigerians with about 200,000 wallets downloaded in less than one day.
A breakdown of the figures obtained by THISDAY yesterday, showed that in less than one day after the digital currency was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari 156,700 consumer wallets have so far been set up, while 23,650 merchant wallets have been open, which was a reflection of the strong interest the innovation has continued to attract.
It is expected that in the coming days, the amount would rise as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intensify awareness on the eNaira. Buhari had said with the eNaira, the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was projected to rise by $29 billion in the next 10 years. He had stressed that Nigeria was the first country in Africa and one of the first in the world to introduce digital currency.
The president stated, “Indeed, some estimates indicate that the adoption of CBDC and its underlying technology, called blockchain, can increase Nigeria’s GDP by US$29 billion over the next 10 years.
