The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has temporarily withdrawn its Monetary, Credit, Foreign Trade, and Exchange Policy Guidelines for the fiscal years 2024-2025 document following widespread media misrepresentations.
This is according to a statement on Friday by the apex bank. In the statement, the CBN expressed concern over how certain aspects of the guidelines have been misreported, resulting in confusion among stakeholders.
The document, issued as part of Monetary Policy Circular No. 45, was originally published on September 17, 2024, but has since been pulled back to minimize confusion caused by media reports.
According to the CBN, the guidelines were misunderstood by some outlets as new policies when, in fact, they represent a compilation of previously issued policies and directives up to December 31, 2023.
The bank stressed that these guidelines serve as a reference for stakeholders, ensuring a clear understanding of policies and offering adjudication in cases of conflict.
However, the CBN noted that some policies mentioned in the guidelines have been revised or replaced by newer updates, causing confusion.
The statement read: “The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been drawn to certain instances of misinterpretation or misrepresentation of its biennial publication on Monetary, Credit, Foreign Trade, and Exchange Policy Guidelines published on September 17, 2024. In response, the CBN has temporarily withdrawn the document to minimize risk of any further misrepresentation.
“As is stated explicitly in the document to guide stakeholders, the CBN reiterates that the publication is a compilation of previously issued policies and guidelines issued by the Bank up to a cut-off date, typically December 31 of the relevant year.”
The CBN stressed that amendments could be made to these guidelines without prior notice to address emerging developments in both the domestic and global economy, with supplementary circulars issued to notify stakeholders of any such changes.
The CBN emphasized that media reports erroneously linking aspects of the guidelines, such as the now-suspended Cyber Security Levy or misrepresentations tying the removal of fuel subsidies to external reserves, were based on outdated or incorrect interpretations. The CBN also underlined that recent updates to its policies, including those affecting the naira exchange rate, have significantly altered some of the earlier policy positions contained in the guidelines.
The apex bank noted: “As a compendium of previously issued policies and guidelines, the provisions are applicable only to the extent that there have been no updates or revisions to the guidelines and policies contained therein. This is stated explicitly in the document to guide stakeholders.
“In line with prior editions, the most recent publication (January 2024) contains policies and guidelines issued by the Bank up to 31st December 2023, some of which will remain relevant during the period 2024 – 2025. However, several others may cease to apply owing to revisions or updates that become applicable in the aftermath of its publication.”
The CBN urged stakeholders and media outlets to seek clarifications directly from the bank before publishing reports to avoid further confusion. It also reiterated its commitment to providing clear and consistent monetary policy direction to support the Nigerian economy.