New 100 Naira note: much ado about nothing, by Kelechi Deca

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Photo Credit: Kelechi Deca

Since today, the Nigerian public narrative space has been awash with indignation over what some call the removal of the 'Ajami' from the Commemorative N100 note. I don’t want to go into reasons why anything Ajami or not should not be on any currency because the reasons those in favour of the Ajami have been giving me are quite weak. I will return to this.

I was surprised that those who went to town declaring that President Jonathan and his brother the CBN Governor have replaced the Ajami with the Star of David, don’t even know what the Star of David looks like. It amuses me that they picked the Star of David. I won’t go into that too.

But if they cared to get information, the CBN Governor did say while explaining the features that the currency has a spark feature of a rolling manila bar which was the instrument used during the slave trade era. What they term Star of David is a rolling manilla bar.

For those who care little about history: Manillas were used as currency in many parts of West Africa as early as the 15th century till 1948 but it was more popular in today’s South Eastern and South Southern Nigeria due to early trade with the Portuguese. However, the Native Currency Proclamation of 1902 in Nigeria prohibited the import of manillas except with the High Commissioner's permit. 

The proclamation was to encourage the use of coined money. Although manillas were legal tender, they floated against British and French West African currencies and the palm-oil trading companies manipulated their value to advantage during the market season. The British undertook a major recall dubbed "operation manilla" in 1948 to replace them with British West African currency. The campaign was largely successful and over 32 million pieces were bought up and resold as scrap.

The manilla, a lingering reminder of the slave trade, ceased to be legal tender in British West Africa on April 1, 1949 after a six-month period of withdrawal. People were permitted to keep a maximum of 200 for ceremonies such as marriages and burials.

Today some parts of Igboland still call money Okpogho, but that was the name manilas were called then. Some called it Okombo and abi. I saw some of them when I was a kid, my people called it Ejemma, it came after the one we called the Eze ego. At the Benin River in those days, a young woman can be bought for 12 manillas.

Now to the reasons some gave for having the Ajami on the notes: You do not need education to distinguish between N100 and N1000, if you doubt me try play a game on any of these beggars on the road, you will discover that they are more financially literate than most of us. We distinguish our currencies more from their colour, size and feel than their nominal value inscription. How many times have you looked at a N1000 note to make sure the 1000 inscription was there?

It is not Star of David. It is Manilla which captured our economic history. Stop projecting ignorance please. 

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~My quick and brief takes on the removal of the Ajami inscription can be read here~