Following the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) announcement that it will redesign and issue new Naira notes starting on December 15, 2022, Nigeria’s top financial institution, Access Bank, has urged its customers living in semi-urban and rural areas with little to no access to bank branches or ATMs to use its agency banking channels, known as CLOSA, to deposit their current Naira notes in order to beat the rush before the circulation of the new ones on December 15th.
The bank, in a recent statement, urged its customers not to panic over the new note redesign policy, since “we are closer than you think,” adding that with over 160,000 Access Bank CLOSA agents and over 500 BETA agents located in over 180 major markets in Nigeria to take cash from customers, we are only a doorstep away.
The bank announced that as a result of the change, its locations will be open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to accept cash deposits from customers who live in urban areas.
According to the statement, “With over 160,000 Access Closa Agents spread across 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria, you can conveniently deposit your existing Naira notes through an agent near you to avoid the risk of moving cash to a distant branch.
Urging customers to click HERE to locate the Access Bank CLOSA agent nearest to them, the bank said that “whether you use our branches, ATMs, or point-of-sale (POS) machines to deposit your existing Naira notes, you can be sure that your money is safe with us and that you can always count on our speed, service, and security.”
The statement went on to say that during the period of receiving your existing Naira notes, all cash deposits will be free.
“There are no fees associated with cash deposits. You can also pick up your debit cards for use at POS terminals and ATMs to make payments.
“We urge all our esteemed customers to prevent the rush and hurry to deposit their Naira notes before the deadline of January 31, 2023, when the current Naira notes will cease to be legal tender”, the statement added.
