emkz:
Why do we even trade dollars in the streets like we trade beans?

Foreign exchange is a security document and the flow must be controlled to avoid it being used to launder money.

In Nigeria, the poor spends naira and rich men spend dollars. Politicians mostly spend dollars. By the dollars going high, it affects all of us because we are an import-based nation.

How do we stem the tide?

Every importer who wants to import should approach the banks who'd give them letters of credit, collect naira and pay the seller in forex through their correspondent bank. The practice of putting dollars in the hands of people who claim to want to import must stop.

If anyone is travelling, he must approach a bank to get BTA and he must be receipted. At the airport, he must present the receipt to customs and evidence of the cash. If he doesn't have the cash, he must be arrested, tried and jailed. Wicked people use travellers to buy BTA at government rates and resell to the black market. If this practice is not functional, give them pre-loaded debit cards by going into partnership with companies like Travelex and Transferwise or Revolut or Remitly and pay them directly so that beneficiaries can collect their cash when they get to the countries of destination.

Also the practice of CBN chiefs selling dollars directly to Nigerians to resell at exorbitant rates must stop. If you are within Nigeria, you have no business handling dollars.

Then all banks must stop the practice of opening domiciliary accounts for Nigerians in Nigeria. They can sell debit cards in naira and charge the prevailing exchange rate for international transactions like e-commerce. This used to be the practice. I wonder who stopped it.

Then the government must look into the mining sector from exploration to extraction, refining and export of minerals like lithium, gold, tin, steel, coal, phosphate and gas. The Chinese must be prevented from mining practices of our minerals and Rosewood trees. Minerals are security assets and must be protected the way we protect our private parts. Foreigners must not be allowed in for now, especially with the way oil exploration has failed our people when handled by foreign companies. You can employ foreigners to train your own people but do not allow them bring their expertise and funds to extract a security asset. They'd never use it to your advantage.

I support the hike in dollar rate. I also applaud the scarcity of dollars. It should be scarce. Only government should have it and those who absolutely need it for business outside the country. If you are within the country, USE NAIRA.

bassdow:
l

emkz:
This was part of my intervention some days ago.



Since our elites have turned BTA/PTA into a business, let the incentive be removed.

I applaud the CBN for being bold.

gaby:
This will also be reversed in a month.

Confused lots.

Electronic card payments that are unreliable locally...lol

We dey wait for the wailings and complaints.

Okoso Cardoso representing blind BATimeous.