The Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a request to stop the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from using the e-Naira trademark, ruling in favor of the apex bank in a legal dispute with E-Naira Payment Solutions Limited.

Justice James Omotosho, in his ruling, declined to grant an interim injunction that would have restrained the CBN from using the name “e-Naira” or communicating with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office over the trademark’s international registration.

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E-Naira Payment Solutions Ltd had filed a motion (FHC/ABJ/CS/2021) claiming ownership of the trademark, alleging that the CBN hijacked its intellectual property despite prior registration approval from the Nigerian Trademark Registry.

The plaintiff argued it stood to suffer irreparable damage if the CBN was not barred from using the name or seeking foreign registration.

However, in its defense, the CBN insisted that the e-Naira is a sovereign digital currency and a national asset, not subject to ownership by any private entity. It also noted that the plaintiff’s earlier trademark acceptance had been withdrawn in November 2021, and that it already holds a valid trademark registration certificate under Nigerian law.

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The court sided with the CBN, noting that halting the apex bank’s trademark activities would cause greater harm to the Nigerian economy than to the plaintiff.

Justice Omotosho ruled that the CBN’s communication with U.S. authorities was a protective move in Nigeria’s interest, not a malicious act. He also ordered the plaintiff to pay the CBN N50,000 in legal costs before the full case would proceed.

The court has scheduled the substantive hearing for June 26, 2025.

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