Is spraying money illegal in Nigeria? The law, real cases, and how guests spray now
The short answer
Yes. Section 21(3) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007 treats spraying naira notes at social occasions as abuse of the naira, punishable under section 21(1) by at least six months in prison, a fine of at least ₦50,000, or both. The law was largely ignored until 2024, when courts began jailing people for it, including the celebrity Bobrisky in April 2024. Many guests now 'spray' by bank transfer instead.
- The law is the CBN Act 2007, section 21. There is no 'Naira Act'.
- The penalty is at least six months in prison, or a fine of at least ₦50,000, or both.
- Bobrisky was jailed for six months without the option of a fine on 12 April 2024.
- A Kano make-up artist was jailed for six months for spraying ₦100,000 at his own wedding.
- Guests now give by transfer, drop money in bags or boxes, or buy vouchers.
What the law says
The rule is in the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007, not a separate 'Naira Act'. Section 21(1) makes it an offence to tamper with a coin or note issued by the Central Bank. Section 21(3) says that tampering includes the spraying of, dancing or marching on the naira or any note issued by the Bank during social occasions.1
Not less than six months
The prison term for abusing the naira under section 21(1) of the CBN Act 2007, or a fine of not less than ₦50,000, or both.1
Has anyone actually been jailed for spraying money?
Yes. For years the rule was largely ignored, as NPR put it in 2025. That changed in 2024, when enforcement began and cases reached court.2
| Who | What happened | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Bobrisky, a social media celebrity | Charged with abusing the naira; sentenced on 12 April 2024 | Six months in prison, no option of a fine |
| A Kano make-up artist | Sprayed ₦100,000 in ₦1,000 notes at his own wedding at a Kano event centre on 6 December 2024; sentenced by the Federal High Court in Kano, reported April 2025 | Six months in prison, no option of a fine |
Both sentences were reported in the Nigerian press: BusinessDay for Bobrisky and The Mirror for the Kano case.34
₦100,000
The amount a Kano man sprayed at his own wedding in December 2024. He pleaded guilty and was jailed for six months without the option of a fine.4
How guests spray now
Spraying hasn't stopped, it has changed shape. A guest told AFP in 2024 that people still spray, but not like before, because they don't want any problems. Reports since the crackdown describe the new habits.5
- Transfers on the dance floor: guests send money from their banking app while the couple dances.
- Bags, bowls and money boxes: guests drop cash in instead of throwing it.
- Vouchers bought by transfer, then given or sprayed in place of notes.
News Central reported the transfers, boxes and vouchers in 2024, and NPR described guests dropping money into bags in 2025.62
The catch with cash in a bag or transfers to someone's personal account is the record. When the party ends, nobody knows who gave what, which makes thank-yous hard.
Let guests spray by transfer, with every gift named
A Spray page gives your event its own account number. Guests transfer to it from any Nigerian banking app, or pay by card from abroad, and each gift arrives with the sender's name, so your thank-you list writes itself.
Create your page
Choose your event, add the names, date and venue, and pick your link. Setting up is free.
Turn on cash gifts
Add a few suggested amounts. Guests can type any amount and add a note to you.
Verify and turn on payments
Confirm who you are and add the bank account in your name. Your page gets its own account number, and money goes to your verified account through our licensed payment partner.
Share the link and the account number
Post the link in your WhatsApp groups. Ask your MC to read out the account number, or print it for the tables, so guests can send a gift from their seat.
Log any cash you're handed
If someone still gives you cash in an envelope, add it with Log a payment so your totals and thank-you list are complete.
Spray is for collecting and tracking gifts before, during and after the day. If you want the live dance-floor moment itself, with guests scanning a QR code and a leaderboard of who sprayed, apps such as Nawó are built for that, and they can sit alongside a Spray page.7
Questions
- Is spraying money illegal in Nigeria?
- Yes. Section 21(3) of the CBN Act 2007 treats spraying naira notes at social occasions as abuse of the naira, punishable under section 21(1).
- What is the punishment for spraying naira?
- At least six months in prison, or a fine of at least ₦50,000, or both, under section 21(1) of the CBN Act 2007. Recent cases have ended in six months without the option of a fine.
- Is there a Naira Act?
- No. The offence is in the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007, section 21.
- Is it legal to spray money by bank transfer?
- Section 21 is about tampering with naira notes and coins, so sending a gift by transfer doesn't involve handling notes at all. That's why many guests now give that way. This isn't legal advice.
- Why is spraying money banned in Nigeria?
- Section 21(3) of the CBN Act 2007 lists spraying, dancing or marching on naira notes at social occasions as a form of tampering with the currency, which section 21(1) makes an offence.
Sources
- Dubawa, 2020. Spraying of naira notes is an offence punishable by imprisonment in Nigeria
- NPR, 2025. In Nigeria, the government is cracking down on money spraying at festive events
- BusinessDay, 2024. Bobrisky bags six months in jail with no option of fine
- The Mirror, 2025. Spraying naira at wedding ceremony costs makeup artist 6 months in jail
- eNCA (AFP), 2024. Crackdown curbs Nigeria's festive 'spraying' cash culture
- News Central TV, 2024. Naira Abuse: Nigerians Invent New Ways of Spraying Money
- Nawó, 2026. Nawó