Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has expressed shock over Nigeria’s growing reliance on foreign currency, especially the dollar, for transactions and bribes.
He warned that the trend is undermining the naira and fueling corruption across key sectors.
Falana spoke on Sunday, September 14, during an interview on Politics Today on Channels Television.
His remarks struck a nerve as they highlighted how even government officials often celebrate dollar payments while sidelining the naira.
“The president was announcing gifts to footballers in dollars, not naira. It has to stop. We must promote the naira, not the dollar,” Falana stated firmly.
The senior advocate reminded Nigerians that rejecting the naira is unlawful.
“As a matter of fact, it is a criminal offence to reject the naira. We need to stop paying fees and buying properties in dollars,” he explained.
According to him, the normalization of dollar payments has spread beyond luxury markets into everyday life, from real estate deals to school fees and even official transactions.
Many property owners, schools, and even event organizers now demand payment in dollars.
Falana described this as not only ridiculous but also dangerous for economic stability.
Moreover, he linked the trend to corruption, saying that bribes in foreign currency are harder to trace and regulate.
Falana stressed that unless the government cracks down on this habit, public confidence in the national currency will continue to collapse.
He argued that stricter regulation and genuine political will are needed to restore the naira’s value.
“We must stop encouraging the use of dollars in this country if we are serious about fixing the economy,” he said.
