The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has called on key stakeholders including entertainers, media professionals, legal practitioners, and financial operators to support the Commission’s efforts to end the abuse of the Nigerian currency.
Speaking during a stakeholder engagement session organised by the Lagos Zonal Directorate of the EFCC on Friday, Olukoyede stressed the urgent need to protect the Naira from abuse and restore its value as a national symbol.
“The Naira is a symbol of our sovereignty. How we treat it reflects how much we respect ourselves as a people,” he said. “Spraying, stamping, or mutilating the Naira at social events is not a cultural practice it is a crime.”
Among the high-profile attendees were entertainers and creatives such as Alabi Pasuma, MI Abaga, Ill Bliss, Goretti, Osas Ighodaro, Pretty Mike, Terry Apala, Mercy Aigbe, Kazim Adeoti, Funke Bucknor-Obruthe, and Anto Lecky.
Olukoyede revealed that the EFCC, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), had intensified its enforcement and awareness campaigns. “We have established a Task Force on Dollarisation and Naira Abuse and are prosecuting offenders, including celebrities,” he said.
He urged entertainers and influencers to use their platforms to educate the public. “In every performance, let one of your opening lines be a reminder to your fans that spraying or stamping on the Naira is a crime. We must all rise to defend the integrity of our currency,” he said.
The EFCC chairman also highlighted the Commission’s role in supporting President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform agenda through asset recovery and public enlightenment. He disclosed that over N100 billion in recovered proceeds of crime has already been channelled into social investment schemes, including the National Education Loan Fund and the Consumer Credit Scheme.
Recovered assets, he added, are being repurposed for national development, citing examples such as the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, and an NDDC liaison office and skills centre in Bayelsa State.
Also speaking, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu, commended the creative industry for its role in shaping national identity and values. He urged stakeholders to align with civic responsibility and patriotism as outlined in the National Values Charter.
“The Naira is not confetti. It is not an accessory for prestige. It is a national asset that demands respect. When you honour the Naira, you honour Nigeria,” Issa-Onilu said.
He noted that the NOA is advancing behavioural change initiatives through school outreach, market advocacy, and AI-powered tools like CLHEEAN, which provide real-time civic information.
The sensitisation event is part of the EFCC’s broader campaign to foster respect for the Naira and uphold Nigeria’s economic and cultural values.
