naira

American

[nahy-ruh] / ˈnaɪ rə /

noun

a paper money and monetary unit of Nigeria, equal to 100 kobo: replaced the pound in 1973.

naira British

/ ˈnaɪrə /

noun

the standard monetary unit of Nigeria, divided into 100 kobo

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of naira

C20: altered from _Nigeria

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

naira

Tinubu took office in 2023 promising reform, and points to more than 7,000 convictions and over 500bn naira recovered in two years.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

He also faces a separate corruption trial in Abuja over allegations of fraud involving 31bn naira.

From BBC ● May 20, 2026

Fuel sellers, known as "marketers", and independent analysts have disputed that figure, putting it closer to 2,000 naira.

From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026

As part of the reconstruction and recovery activities, Borno has requested an additional 61bn naira to rebuild damaged infrastructure, including bridges, road networks and hospitals.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2025

Papa gave them each ten naira from a wad of notes he pulled out of his hold-all.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023