Nigerians Lament Long Queues at ATMs, Cash Withdrawal Limits

Since last week, the long queues at banks’ Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) have increased as Nigerians lament scarcity of the redesigned naira notes.

Despite the announcement of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, on the extension of the deadline for the acceptance of old notes from January 31, 2023 to February 10, 2023, the crowd has persisted at Banks and their ATM galleries.

Investors King gathered that there is a gross scarcity of the new naira notes in the Southwest states as seen in the data obtained in Lagos, Ogun and Osun by its sources.

Lagosians expressed displeasure over the non-availability of funds at the ATMs and Point of Sale, POS agents which have caused them to be stranded even though they have loaded bank accounts.

They stated that both the new and old notes are no longer dispensed at the ATMs. The people of Ogun have similar experiences as they could not make withdrawals due to the lack of funds in the machines.

Meanwhile, some banks were said to be giving their customers N50 and N100 notes at the counter with a daily limit of N20,000 cash.  

Investors King observed that this did not go down well with the people who had spent several hours on the queue but went home with not more than N20,000. 

According to a Zenith Bank user in Akute, Ogun state, N5000 was the pegged daily withdrawal limit over the counter without an assurance of receiving it after the frustrating queue.

“We went to Zenith bank at Akute but could not get any money. We went inside the bank and we were told they could only pay us a maximum of N5,000 in N50 notes but the notes were torn and dirty.

“Even to collect the N5000, we queued for hours and eventually we were not paid. We went to the bank’s ATM and were given numbers, after staying in the queue, they later said there was no money. We can’t get new notes and we still can’t get old notes. We are tired and frustrated,” he lamented.

In Osogbo, Osun State capital, ATMs were filled with large numbers of people from the early hours of the day, as early as 3am to 4am. Number tags were issued as users arrived before the machines started dispensing money by 8:30am.

Though the machines dispensed new naira notes, there are withdrawal limits for various banks while some didn’t dispense for other bank users.

At Zenith Bank, Aregbe area in Osogbo, the withdrawal limit is N20,000 for their customers while other bank users can only withdraw N1000 at once for five times which makes it N5000. This angered several residents as they grudgingly withdrew their money with N35 bank charge on each N1000 withdrawal.   

Meanwhile, at GT Bank Ogo oluwa area in Osogbo, their ATMs did not accept nor dispense for other bank users. Only their customers returned home with smiles, though not without long hours under the scorching sun.

Nigerians have questioned why the scarcity of new naira notes persist in the midst of fuel scarcity worsening the hardship in the country.