By George Ozalla
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed deposit money banks (DMBs) to stop deducting charges for unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) transactions directly from customers’ bank accounts. Instead, these charges will now be deducted from users’ mobile airtime, effective June 3, 2025.
Each USSD session will attract a charge of ₦6.98 per 120 seconds, billed by the mobile network operator. Users will receive a consent prompt at the start of each session, and airtime will only be deducted upon confirmation and availability of the bank to fulfill the service. If users don’t wish to continue using USSD banking under this new model, they can discontinue using the USSD channel and opt for alternative digital banking platforms like mobile apps, internet banking, or ATMs.
The NCC’s directive aims to resolve the long-standing N250 billion debt dispute between Nigerian banks and telecom operators over unpaid USSD fees. In December 2024, the NCC and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) jointly directed all parties to resolve the impasse. The NCC later threatened to suspend USSD services and publish a list of defaulting banks, leading to partial payments from banks to telecom operators, including MTN Nigeria receiving ₦32 billion out of ₦72 billion.
Banks such as United Bank for Africa (UBA) and First City Monument Bank (F
[6/4, 1:14 PM] Meta AI: NCC Orders Banks to Stop USSD Charges from Accounts
By George Ozalla
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed deposit money banks (DMBs) to stop deducting charges for unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) transactions directly from customers’ bank accounts. Instead, these charges will now be deducted from users’ mobile airtime, effective June 3, 2025.
Each USSD session will attract a charge of ₦6.98 per 120 seconds, billed by the mobile network operator. Users will receive a consent prompt at the start of each session, and airtime will only be deducted upon confirmation and availability of the bank to fulfill the service. If users don’t wish to continue using USSD banking under this new model, they can discontinue using the USSD channel and opt for alternative digital banking platforms like mobile apps, internet banking, or ATMs.
The NCC’s directive aims to resolve the long-standing N250 billion debt dispute between Nigerian banks and telecom operators over unpaid USSD fees. In December 2024, the NCC and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) jointly directed all parties to resolve the impasse. The NCC later threatened to suspend USSD services and publish a list of defaulting banks, leading to partial payments from banks to telecom operators, including MTN Nigeria receiving ₦32 billion out of ₦72 billion.
Banks such as United Bank for Africa (UBA) and First City Monument Bank (FCMB) have notified their customers about the change. UBA stated, “In line with the directive of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), please be informed that effective June 3, 2025, charges for USSD banking services will no longer be deducted from your bank account.” FCMB also mentioned that each USSD session will cost ₦6.98 per 120 seconds, charged by the mobile network.
Some telecom subscribers have expressed concerns about potential double charges, with telecom right activist Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo warning that Nigerian telecom subscribers would resist any attempt to double charge them for the USSD service.
