Naira from 1973 onwards
Compare an amount within the naira era without pretending that Nigeria used naira in the 1960s.
For example: ₦100 in 1990 or ₦1,000 in 2005What would an old naira amount be worth today?
Enter a year and amount in naira to estimate its value at 2025 prices. The main result stays in naira; a recent exchange rate is used only for the optional comparisons below.
Calculator
Price comparisons use annual data through 2025. Only optional currency conversions use a recent exchange rate.
What currency was it in?
Display currency
What would it be worth in each year?
Rough value at each year’s pricesNGN NGN
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—See what an old naira amount is roughly worth today.
Choose a year, enter the amount and get a simple estimate in naira. Use it for an old salary, rent, school fees, savings or a price from a receipt.- 01
Choose 1973 or a later year
Enter the original naira amount and year. Amounts in Nigerian pounds or West African pounds belong to the pre-naira guide, not this calculator.
- 02
Enter the old amount
Use a salary, rent, school fee, savings balance or price from an old receipt.
- 03
See the rough amount today
The result reflects everyday spending in general. Food, rent, fuel, property and old banknotes can change at different rates.
Old salaries, rent, school fees and everyday prices
Use naira for 1973 onwards. For earlier pounds and shillings, open the separate Nigerian money guide.Salary and savings
Check whether a higher salary or account balance kept up with the rise in everyday prices across Nigeria.
For example: a ₦50,000 monthly salary in 2011What could ₦100 buy?
See the general estimate first, then compare rice, garri, transport or fuel separately if that is your real question.
For example: ₦100 in 1973, 1990 and 1999Pounds, shillings and the 1973 switch
Learn the official rule used when Nigeria changed from pounds to naira, without pretending that a pre-1973 pound was already naira.
For example: £1 Nigerian in 1959 belongs to the history guideNigeria money guides
Read about money before the naira, what ₦100 could buy and whether an old salary kept up with everyday prices.BEFORE 1973From Nigerian pounds to nairaWhat changed in 1973, and why converting the unit alone does not tell you its value in today’s prices.→₦100What could ₦100 buy then and now?Compare ₦100 in 1973, 1990 and 1999 with what the same amount means today.→SALARYDid your salary beat inflation?Compare the amount on an old payslip with today’s everyday prices, food costs and exchange rate.→
See all guidesOfficial information about prices and the naira
The National Bureau of Statistics publishes price information, while the Central Bank of Nigeria records the history of Nigerian money.Nigerian price reportsOfficial NBS reports on everyday and food prices across Nigeria.↗How NBS tracks household pricesOfficial NBS information about the goods and services Nigerian households buy.↗History of Nigerian CurrencyCBN record of pre-colonial money, West African pounds, the Nigerian pound and the naira.↗1973 Currency IssueCBN record of the decimal switch and the relationship between shillings, naira and kobo.↗
Common questions about old naira amounts
What years can I calculate in Nigerian naira?
The naira calculator starts in 1973, when the naira was introduced. Earlier pounds and shillings are explained historically and are not treated as NGN inputs.
What does the result mean?
The result estimates how many naira today would cover a similar range of everyday goods and services. It follows the overall change in Nigerian consumer prices, so it will not exactly recreate one person’s old shopping receipt.
Was there naira in Nigeria in 1960?
No. Nigeria used pounds and shillings. The naira began in 1973, so enter earlier money only in the separate history guide.
Is this the historical naira-to-dollar rate?
No. The main result follows price changes inside Nigeria. If you choose dollars or pounds, the page first works out the amount in today’s naira and then shows it using today’s exchange rate.
Does it tell me what an old naira note is worth to a collector?
No. A collector’s price depends on the type of note, scarcity, condition and demand. This site estimates what the amount could buy; it does not value the physical note.
Why might the result feel different from my household costs?
Every household spends differently on food, transport, rent, power and school fees. Costs also vary by state and between urban and rural areas.
Why is the result different from rice, fuel or rent?
Rice, fuel, rent and other expenses do not rise at the same rate. The result is a broad guide to everyday spending, not the exact history of one item.
Why are results shown in today’s prices?
Showing every result as a rough amount today makes money from different decades easier to compare.