FEDERAL GOVT. ISSUES NOTIFICATION TO BANKS OVER USSD CHARGES
The federal government of Nigeria recently issued directives to all banks through Nigerian Communications Commission NCC to discontinue the removal of USSD charges from customers’ bank accounts. The statement is emphasized the commencement date to take effect on Tuesday ,3rd of June 2025 as all defictions shall now be done through users’ mobile airtime and not from the customers’ bank accounts.
This directive was confirmed given the public notice to customers by United Bank For Africa- UBA .
The new billing approach it’s gathered follows the NCC’s End- Users billing model as each session will now costs N6.98 per 120 seconds. Thus, these charges will now ttaken care of by users’ Mobile network and not by the bank
However, before any airtime is deducted, users will receive prompt demanding for their permission as airtime will be deducted if the user accepts and the bank processes the request successfully.
Meanwhile banks have notified users that they can still use Mobile apps and internet banking transactions.
Although before tjis development, there has been disagreement between telecom operators and banks over upaid USSD debts running into Two Hundred and Fifty Billion naira N250B as at the dnd of the year 2024. But in January 2025, the NCC directed telecom companies in Nigeria to discontinue use of USSD services tosome banks due to the unpaid fees.
In the light of the disagreement,MTN Nigeria had confirmed that it had been paid the sum of Thirty- two Billion naira N32B out the totalsum of Seventy- two Billion N72B debt owed it by banks across Nigeria.
———Emeka Amaefula—-+234(0)8111813069—-