The deadline for exchanging old banknotes for newly designed ones has been extended by Nigeria's central bank.
In order to fulfill the initial deadline of Tuesday, there have been lengthy lines at several institutions.
The deadline for making the exchange is now February 10th.
Analysts have harshly criticized the redesign of the larger denomination naira notes, claiming that six weeks was not enough time for the most populous nation in Africa to phase out the old currency.
A few weeks prior to the nation's presidential and legislative elections, it is taking place.
According to local media, there are not enough of the new notes in use, and customers are unable to withdraw them from banks.
In a culture where cash is king, the Central Bank of Nigeria's (CBN) initiative is perceived as a push to get Nigerians to accept digital payments.
It anticipates that the exchange will help some of the money that businesses and people have been holding back into the banking system.
80% of the notes in circulation, according to the bank, were not inside banks when it announced in October that the 1,000 ($2.18, £1.75), 500, and 200 naira notes would be replaced.
The CBN thinks that with the new currency, it will have a better awareness of the money moving around the economy and be able to control inflation more effectively.
The extended deadline of 10 February, according to the bank governor, will make it easier for customers to swap their old bills in remote areas where there aren't many bank offices.
Nigerians would then have a further seven days to deposit old currencies with the CBN directly, he added.
