20 NGN #386

Front

General Murtala Ramat Muhammed (1938-1976), Nigerian military ruler who served as Head of State from July 1975 until his assassination in February 1976. He initiated major government reforms, including the relocation of the federal capital from Lagos to Abuja, and is remembered as a decisive and populist leader who fought corruption. The front features decorative geometric patterns and the denomination 'TEN NAIRA' (note: image shows ₦10 denomination on front while back shows ₦20, indicating a mismatched pair). Arabic script appears alongside English inscriptions.

Back

General Murtala Ramat Muhammed (1938-1976) in military uniform with service decorations. The portrait shows him in formal military dress with medals and insignia. The Central Bank of Nigeria headquarters building appears faintly rendered in the background on the right side. The denomination 'TWENTY NAIRA' is prominently displayed along with the Central Bank of Nigeria name in both English and Arabic script. Serial number A/58 192150 is visible at upper right.

History

This note belongs to Nigeria's third currency series issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria from 1984 through 2001. The series honours General Murtala Muhammed, who though his tenure lasted only seven months before his assassination in an attempted coup, became one of Nigeria's most celebrated leaders for his anti-corruption stance, administrative reforms, and nationalist foreign policy. All denominations in this series featured his portrait. The series was gradually withdrawn starting in the late 1990s and replaced by a new design series beginning in 2001. The visible signature appears to be from the 1990s governorship period. NOTE: The images show a mismatched pair - the front displays a ₦10 note while the back shows a ₦20 note. Both feature Murtala Muhammed but are from different denominations within the same series.