Nigerian telecoms and banking regulators have agreed on new measures aimed at reducing complaints linked to failed airtime and data purchases, as subscribers continue to report deductions without corresponding service delivery.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said the measures are contained in a joint framework developed after months of consultations with mobile network operators, value-added service providers, deposit money banks and other industry stakeholders. The talks were initiated in response to a rise in unresolved cases involving unsuccessful transactions caused by network outages, system faults and human errors.
The framework establishes a common approach between the telecommunications and financial sectors for handling such complaints. It defines the roles of all parties involved in airtime and data transactions and introduces enforceable service level agreements for both mobile network operators and banks.
Under the new rules, subscribers who are debited without receiving airtime or data are entitled to an automatic refund within 30 seconds, regardless of whether the failure occurs at the banking or telecoms end. In cases where a transaction remains pending, refunds may take up to 24 hours.
The framework also requires operators to notify customers via text message of the outcome of every transaction. Provisions are included to address issues such as incorrect recharges, purchases made to the wrong phone number and errors involving ported lines.
Speaking on the development, the NCC’s Director of Consumer Affairs, Freda Bruce-Bennett, said the framework provides for the creation of a central monitoring dashboard to be jointly hosted by the NCC and the CBN. She said the platform will allow regulators to track transaction failures, identify the responsible party, monitor refunds and detect breaches of service obligations in real time.
Mrs Bruce-Bennett said failed top-ups remain one of the most frequent consumer complaints in the sector, adding that the framework is designed to ensure quicker resolution. She disclosed that, pending formal approval of the framework by both regulators, banks and mobile operators have already refunded more than ₦10 billion to customers affected by failed transactions.
She added that full implementation is expected to begin on 1 March 2026, subject to final regulatory approval and the completion of technical integration by mobile network operators, value-added service providers and deposit money banks.
