Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has made an announcement today, Thursday August 23rd 2012 of the upcoming introduction of 5000 Naira notes . Also 5, 10 and 20 naira will leave the notes colony and become... coins...all this is expected to kick off next year .

On the note will be the faces of three renowned Nigerian female leaders – Hajiya Gambo Sawaba, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and Margaret Ekpo.

Hajiya Gambo Sawaba

Despite low education, coming from the northern part of Nigeria where women are least encouraged and their education neglected, and forced into early marriage at age 16, Hajiya Sawaba struggled through all these obstacles to emerge as a sweet, dynamic, independent political activist helping to educate many people.

Like most of her contemporaries, she sowed the seed for the on-going emancipation of African women from the African tradition and the structures of the African nation-states.

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (1900-1978) was a Nigerian feminist who fought for suffrage and equal rights for her countrywomen long before the second wave of the women's movement in the United States. She also joined the struggle for Nigerian independence as an activist in the anti-colonial movement. Described by many as the mother of women's rights in Nigeria, she was regarded in her time as "The Mother of Africa."

Chief Margaret Ekpo

A giant of 20th century Nigerian politics, and a pioneer activist of women’s rights. A fierce defender of women’s rights, Margaret Ekpo never apologized for being a woman and that, it can be argued, was her greatest strength. With grace of carriage, she stood her ground as an equal of men, representing women resolutely and with great dignity in multiple capacities.

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It had been earlier speculated, when rumors of the 5,000 notes arose some months back, that late Ojukwu’s image would be placed on the N5,000 note but this obviously is not the case with the recent statement from Lamido.

Outcries have begun on the seeming devaluation of the Nigerian Currency with this development in the pipelines.

What do you guys think about this ?