Residents of Kaduna State, Nigeria, are turning to petrol filling stations for help in their desperate search for cash to meet their urgent needs, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
This development is due to the scarcity of liquid cash in automated teller machines (ATMs) of most banks in the metropolis, as well as the closure of point-of-sale operators for the same reason.
The situation has forced people to seek cash from petrol stations where they look for customers buying fuel with cash instead of electronic transfer. An agreement is then reached between those in need of cash and those buying petrol with cash, where the fuel buyer pays the fuel cost from their account via electronic transfer, and then the person in need of cash receives the cash from the fuel buyer in return.
While the arrangement has come as a relief to many people who have been under severe hardship, it is not without its challenges. There is uncertainty around network service and the time spent waiting for the turn of the person helping one to be dispensed fuel. In addition, there are some needs that can only be satisfied using liquid cash, which limits the usefulness of this arrangement.
The situation has also affected some hospitals in Kaduna, which are experiencing a dearth of patients. Some employees of the hospitals attribute the low turnout to the unavailability of new naira notes. Patients are also unable to settle their transportation fare to the hospital due to the lack of cash.
In response to the situation, tricycle operators in the Kaduna metropolis are now displaying their account details for customers to settle their fare electronically. Passengers are also being warned in advance that old N500 and N1,000 notes are no longer legal tenders and will not be accepted.
The situation in Kaduna highlights the need for effective cash management by banks and other financial institutions. It also underscores the importance of investing in digital infrastructure to enable seamless electronic transfer of money, thereby reducing the reliance on physical cash.
