20 Nigerian Naira Banknote (General Murtala Muhammed)

20 Naira Naira (Issued 2006-2025)

The 20 Naira note of Nigeria’s modern polymer series honours General Murtala Ramat Muhammed, the military head of state whose brief but transformative leadership between 1975 and 1976 left a lasting impression on Nigerian national consciousness. His image on the currency reflects his enduring status as a symbol of reform and decisive governance in post-civil war Nigeria. The denomination also celebrates indigenous craft traditions through its reverse design, grounding the note in the everyday cultural life of ordinary Nigerians. Issued across both paper and polymer substrates from 2006 onwards, this note sits at the heart of daily commerce throughout the country.

On the front, the portrait of General Murtala R. Muhammed (1938–1976) dominates the left-hand portion of the note, rendered in finely detailed intaglio engraving in tones of grey and dark green against the note’s predominantly light green background. He is depicted in military uniform, his expression composed and authoritative, with the name and dates “GENERAL MURTALA R. MUHAMMED (1938–1976)” inscribed in small text beneath the portrait. To the upper centre, the issuing authority is printed in bold dark lettering as “CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA”, accompanied by the Nigerian coat of arms — featuring an eagle atop a black shield flanked by white horses — positioned to the right of the title text. The denomination “TWENTY NAIRA” is printed in bold red-brown capital lettering centrally on the note, with the numeral “20” appearing in large format in the lower left and again in bold dark print to the upper right. A polymer windowed security thread is embedded vertically through the note. To the right of centre, a colour-shifting holographic oval device depicts the Nigerian eagle crest motif in dark ink with iridescent qualities. The serial number “EF 474091” appears twice — once vertically along the left margin and once horizontally in the lower right — printed in dark green. The year “2006” is printed below the left serial number. Two signatures appear along the lower section: that of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on the left, and the Director of Currency and Branch Operations on the right. The background carries fine guilloché patterning in light green tones with subtle geometric latticework across the full face of the note.

The reverse presents a rich scene of traditional Nigerian craft in detailed intaglio and offset printing, set against a light green background consistent with the face. The central image depicts a woman engaged in traditional pottery work, seated before an array of clay vessels, bowls, and pots of varying sizes, rendered in detailed grey and olive-green engraving. She wears traditional dress and a head wrap, and a caption to the lower right of the scene reads “LADI KWALI POTTERY WORKS”. To the left, the outline map of Nigeria is printed in green and white, echoing the national flag’s colours, with the Nigerian coat of arms emblem appearing within a windowed security element below the map. The text “CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA” runs along the upper centre of the reverse. The denomination appears in multiple scripts: “Naira Ashirin” in Hausa script appears to the upper left, “Naira Iri Abụọ” in Igbo appears to the upper right, and “Ogún Náírà” in Yoruba is printed to the lower left, reflecting Nigeria’s three principal languages. The numeral “20” is printed in large bold dark type to the upper right, with “TWENTY NAIRA” in bold dark lettering centrally along the lower portion. A secondary circular emblem featuring the Nigerian coat of arms is printed to the lower right of the main scene. Fine guilloché background patterning in light green continues across the full reverse, and a pink-toned security band is visible through the polymer substrate in the upper central area.

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