The Nigerian Security Printing and Minting (NSPM) Plc also called The MINT has explained why the new naira notes leave stain marks when rubbed against plain white surfaces.
Ahmed Halilu, the Managing Director/Chief Executive of NSPM, which prints the nation’s currency, gave the explanation in a Friday statement.
He said NSPM’s attention has been drawn to various clips, skits, concerns and comments on diverse platforms regarding the quality of the redesigned notes.
According to Halilu, the new notes are of the same substrates and passed through the same printing processes and finishing procedures as the old notes they are set to replace.
“It is, however, important to note that new banknotes are generally light when issued, then become heavier in circulation on getting in contact with dirt and moisture,” Halilu added.
“In addition, the second stage of currency printing (intaglio) requires a heavy deposit of special inks with fairly large particles to give a tactile feeling of the portraits as well as other raised prints by way of design.
“One of the properties of intaglio inks is non-solubility in water and ease of transfer (light stain) on plain white materials owing to the size of the particles.
“This is generally a security feature of all banknotes that easily differentiates them from forged or counterfeited notes.”
The NSPM boss stressed that the legal tender is a national symbol and urged “Nigerians and other users of the Naira banknotes not to subject our banknotes to experiments in order to prove a point”.
“The best international practices have been deployed in the production of our national symbol, the (Naira), and we shall continue to ensure that it meets international standards,” he stated.