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Purpose: Central bank digital currency (CBDC) is non-physical or the digital equivalent of physical money issued by a central bank. Nigeria became the first African country to issue a CBDC, popularly known as the eNaira. This chapter highlights the redesign features that eNaira should possess to offer payment solutions and macroeconomic stability effectively.

Methodology: The chapter used discourse analysis to highlight the features the eNaira should possess.

Findings: The chapter suggests that the eNaira should have an interest-bearing status, have enhanced security features, and offer zero transaction costs on eNaira transactions. These are design features which the eNaira presently lacks.

Originality: This chapter is the first to suggest redesign features for an already issued CBDC. It is also the first to highlight the design features of a CBDC in the African continent.

This paper investigates the global and local interest in Internet information about cryptocurrency and the Nigeria central bank digital currency, which is also known as eNaira.

Granger causality test and GMM coefficient matrix methodologies were used.

There is sustained increase in global and local interest in Internet information about eNaira in the first six weeks after eNaira adoption. Local interest in Internet information about cryptocurrency in Nigeria exceeded global interest in Internet information about cryptocurrency. The south-east region had the highest interest in cryptocurrency information followed by the south-south, the north-central, the north-east, the north-west and the south-west regions. In contrast, the north-east region had the highest interest in Internet information about eNaira, followed by the north-west, the north–central, the south-west, the south-south and the south-east regions. Nigeria recorded the highest global interest in Internet information about cryptocurrency and eNaira, while Japan and Brazil recorded the lowest interest during the period. The correlation results show a significant and positive correlation between interest in cryptocurrency information and interest in eNaira information. The Granger causality results show that global interest in cryptocurrency information causes both global and local interest in eNaira information. Also, local interest in cryptocurrency information causes global interest in eNaira information. The GMM regression coefficient matrix shows a significant positive relationship between interest in cryptocurrency information and eNaira information.

There are few studies on CBDC in country-specific contexts. This study adds to the literature by examining the Nigerian context.

The eNaira is the central bank digital currency of Nigeria. People who are interested in the eNaira and financial inclusion will seek information about eNaira and financial inclusion. Their interest in information about eNaira and financial inclusion will make it easier for them to adopt the eNaira and embrace other financial inclusion innovations such as FinTech and cryptocurrency. This paper investigates the determinants of interest in eNaira and financial inclusion information.

The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. The study also used the GMM and 2SLS regression methods for robustness.

Using interest over time data, the findings of this study reveal that interest in financial technology (FinTech) and eNaira information are significant positive determinants of interest in financial inclusion information. Also, interest in financial inclusion is a significant positive determinant of interest in eNaira information. Furthermore, interest in FinTech information has a positive and significant correlation with interest in financial inclusion information. There is also a significant positive correlation between interest in central bank digital currency information and interest in FinTech information. The implication of the findings is that interest in information about new financial innovations, such as FinTech and eNaira, can stimulate interest in information about financial inclusion.

The literature has not examined the determinants of interest in eNaira and financial inclusion information yet.

Purpose: Nigeria is the first African country to issue a central bank digital currency (CBDC) or fiat digital currency. The eNaira CBDC was issued as a money equivalent to be used along with paper Naira. This chapter identifies the features, opportunities and risks of the CBDC in Nigeria, also known as the eNaira.

Method: This chapter uses the discourse analysis method to assess the opportunities and risks of CBDC.

Findings: The opportunities which CBDC present to Nigeria include improved monetary policy transmission, convenience, efficient payments and increased financial inclusion. Some identified risks include digital illiteracy, increased propensity for cyber-attacks, data theft and the changing role of banks in a full-fledged CBDC economy.

Originality: This chapter contributes to the literature by evaluating the pros and cons of fiat digital currency such as a CBDC.

This paper aims to investigate the determinants of global interest in central bank digital currency (CBDC). It assessed whether global interest in sustainable development and cryptocurrency are determinants of global interest in CBDC.

Google Trends data were analyzed using two-stage least square regression estimation.

There is a significant positive relationship between global interest in sustainable development and global interest in CBDC. There is a significant positive relationship between global interest in cryptocurrency and global interest in the Nigeria eNaira CBDC. There is a significant negative relationship between global interest in CBDC and global interest in the eNaira CBDC. There is a significant positive relationship between global interest in CBDC and global interest in the China eCNY. There is a significant negative relationship between global interest in cryptocurrency and global interest in the Sand Dollar and DCash.

The literature has not empirically examined whether global interest in sustainable development and cryptocurrency are factors motivating global interest in CBDC. This study fills a gap in the literature by investigating whether global interest in sustainable development and cryptocurrency are factors motivating global interest in CBDC.

A growing number of central banks are considering the issuance of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). CBDCs for the general public (“retail CBDCs”) would constitute a central bank liability and a form of digital cash. To the public, they would be an alternative to central bank issued cash and private money, such as traditional bank deposits. The evolution of payments plays a pivotal role in developing CBDCs. Given the declining role of cash in some jurisdictions, CBDCs as a new form of central bank money may contribute to safeguarding trust in the public currency and improve financial inclusion outcomes. CBDCs have the potential to encourage competition and efficiency in an otherwise oligopolistic market for payment services, increasingly dominated by BigTechs, and increase overall resilience in payment markets of the future. Upon their introduction and depending on their exact design, CBDCs may have considerable consequences for policy makers and the general public. This chapter sets out four of the main motivations for issuing CBDCs, all while acknowledging considerable divergences across jurisdictions.

Purpose: The purpose of this chapter is to offer a discussion on the role played by Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) in enhancing financial inclusion. The central interest of the study is to place CBDC on the financial inclusion landscape and provide insights on potential opportunities and barriers in making CBDC a strong building block of financial inclusion, as well as the digital financial system.

Design/methodology/approach: This chapter is a conceptual work that builds on relevant literature. This study identifies and suggests potential aspects that can help in the adoption of CBDC as a tool for financial inclusion.

Findings: This chapter analyses opportunities, barriers, and concerns for CBDC in the context of financial inclusion and discusses how critical functions of blockchain technology can lead to the acceptance and adoption of CBDC. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated how CBDC can pave the way for financial inclusion and benefit the existing financial system taking more people from financial exclusion towards financial inclusion.

Originality/value: This is evident that CBDCs and financial inclusion need to be intertwined to support upcoming technological transformations happening in the digital financial ecosystem. Therefore, CBDCs must be viewed from varying lenses to understand the relevance of including CBDCs in the financial system can be expanded. Further, repercussions from the given framework are suggested.