By Dakuku Peterside

There is no disputation that naira abuse or more specifically the act of spraying money at social events has become an acceptable norm or cultural practice in Nigeria. Nigerians have a cultural affinity for lavish social gatherings. Many people regard these occasions as avenue for displaying social statuses and wealth.

Even burials that are supposed to be sober moments have been turned into considerable fanfare. This has created a new industry of mint note trading and events management. All of these constitute the social infrastructure of naira abuse.

Nigeria has since recognised the dangers of naira abuse but that is not the focus of this piece. The government has made rules and laws to check it and provided enlightenment campaigns to educate people on the ill. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) gave naira abuse as one of the reasons why it is pushing for digital-based financial transactions. Naira abuse, like its ancestor – the social epidemic of corruption, has remained stubborn and refused to go away.

There is, however, ambiguity about what constitutes naira abuse. Section 21 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act of 2007 clearly defines naira abuse and prescribes various punishments to deter citizens from engaging in it. The abuse includes: spraying banknotes at events; writing on banknotes; stapling banknotes; tearing banknotes; dancing or stumping on naira notes; defacing bank notes with substances or ink or oil; selling banknotes; the mutilation of naira notes; and creating money bouquets.

However, there has been a pervasive laxity on the enforcement of the law. It is generally though that the laws against naira abuse are either symbolic or desuetude, because no one is held accountable for it; everyone gets away with it.

The social phenomena of naira abuse, especially the spraying of money, have become epidemic in Nigeria. Lately, the abuse is of significant concern. We have exported it to many parts of the world, and social media is replete with evidence of this in weddings and other social events attended by Nigerians in different parts of the world.

Malcolm Gladwell’s book, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference explores the idea that social phenomena, like trends and epidemics, often reach a tipping point where they suddenly become widespread. He identifies three key factors that contribute to this tipping point: the Law of the Few (the idea that a small number of people have a disproportionate influence), the Stickiness Factor (how messages or ideas stick in the minds of people), and the Power of Context (how the environment influences behaviour).

Through engaging anecdotes and research, Gladwell illustrates how understanding these factors can help individuals and organisations create or manipulate trends and epidemics. The book emphasises the importance of paying attention to small details and understanding the social dynamics behind spreading ideas and behaviours.

The fundamental concepts of the book in relation to naira abuse are twofold. First, the cultural context or external environment provides the soil for bad or good behaviour to grow and spread. Second, key people with remarkable personalities can cause or stop social epidemics because of their social profile or social network.

There is a link between the recommendation of Malcolm Gladwell and the arrest and prosecution of Idris Okuneye, better known as Bobrisky, a cross-dresser and social influencer, for naira abuse, and the arrest and ongoing prosecution of Cubana Chief priest (Pascal Okechukwu), in connection with naira abuse. Why selectively arrest the duo when everybody is involved in some form of naira abuse or the other, either by trampling on, spraying, mutilating or rumpling our banknotes? The truth is that it is nearly impossible for any law enforcement organisation to find and apprehend every perpetrator of this offence. Resources exist in limited supply. It is simple wisdom to begin with people who have disproportionate influence. This is perhaps what EFCC has done.

The first common ground is that both of these prosecuted celebrities enjoy considerable social media influence, whether for positive or negative reasons, depending on personal value systems. These two cases, though similar, are following different paths.

Bobrisky, in court, pleaded guilty and has since been handed a six-month imprisonment. Cubana Chief Priest did not plead guilty, so his case will go to full trial, putting the law to the test. This court case will assist us in providing answers to some critical questions: What are the societal ramifications of naira spraying, and how can naira misuse be proven? Is there need to amend the existing law and make it more relevant to the challenge? Will this fresh wave of enforcement stop the epidemic of naira abuse?

Regardless of how the legal proceedings turn out, they have highlighted how important it is to take the triplet societal plague of poor social behaviour, naira abuse, and their ancestor – corruption, very seriously.

I have identified six pillars for controlling or stopping naira abuse: Fight corruption because it is an enabler of abuse of the naira. The incestuous relationship between corruption, illicit financial transactions and naira abuse is well established.

Second, the government should deepen knowledge and change people’s orientation by embarking on mass enlightenment, as people must understand clearly what constitutes naira abuse and what the punishment is for the offence.

Third, address cultural issues relating to naira abuse through community engagement. People gifting money to celebrants at occasions is no crime but the manner of gifting has become the issue.

Fourth, government should renew the push for digital transactions.

Fifth, government must strengthen the structures of law enforcement. It is not just a police and EFCC matter. The judiciary must upend its knowledge on the subject matter.

Sixth, government must be impartial and objectively enforce the law to change cultural norms and public behaviour that defaces the naira. This may entail revisiting and improving the law.

The CBN, Police and the EFCC should study different models of changing public behaviour and draw up a model and strategy to deal with the issue of naira abuse, especially since it has become embedded in some cultures. Good examples abound abroad and in Nigeria. The British government employed various strategies to change public behaviour regarding spitting and other personal vices. Spitting in public places was prohibited through by-laws or municipal regulations, but it is social persuasion that finally gave the result.

These laws serve as deterrents and can result in fines or other penalties for offenders. They launched public awareness campaigns, collaborated with community stakeholders, and monitored and enforced the law.

However, most of all, they leveraged social norms and peer pressure to influence behaviour and encourage individuals to conform to accepted standards of behaviour by highlighting the societal consensus against spitting and certain destructive behaviours, while showcasing positive role models who embodied desirable conduct.

A model that seems to be working in Akwa Ibom State is the State Ethical and Attitudinal Reorientation initiative. Before 1999, the Akwa Ibom people experienced a severe social epidemic, “The pervasive and prevalent house help syndrome,” which gained widespread notoriety and led to the dubbed moniker, “Ekaette” for nearly every female domestic helper. The administration of Obong Attah took up the task of reorienting the Akwa Ibom people’s mindset. He established the Ethical and Attitudinal Reorientation Commission (EARCOM) and gave it the responsibility of raising public awareness about the importance of “minoring” vices and “majoring” in moral principles.

The struggle has persisted throughout the regimes, and Pastor Umo Eno’s present administration appears to be taking it to newer, more profound heights by hiring assistants for each ward and unit, and charging them to carry out the Commission’s work of value reorientation in remote areas.

The success story of Akwa Ibom is a model that the Federal Government can replicate. Changing public behaviour requires a multifaceted approach that combines legislation, education, community engagement, social support  and enforcement efforts. By addressing the underlying factors contributing to undesirable behaviours and promoting positive alternatives, governments can effectively shape public attitudes and foster a more socially responsible society.

Peterside is a public sector turnaround expert, leadership coach, public policy analyst and columnist.