Just In:NCC Issues Fresh Directive to Banks on USSD Charges

NCC Orders Banks to Deduct USSD Charges from Airtime

Eagles Sight News reports that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a fresh directive instructing banks to begin deducting USSD transaction charges directly from customers’ mobile airtime, rather than from their bank account balances.

This regulatory shift, which takes effect on June 3, 2025, was communicated to customers by United Bank for Africa (UBA), one of Nigeria’s leading commercial banks. The move is part of efforts by the NCC to enforce its End-User Billing (EUB) framework, which places billing responsibilities on mobile network operators instead of financial institutions.

The new arrangement means that customers using USSD banking services will now pay N6.98 per 120 seconds, deducted by their mobile service providers once consent is given at the beginning of each session.

This decision comes in the wake of a long-standing financial dispute between mobile network operators (MNOs) and deposit money banks (DMBs) over unpaid USSD service debts — a crisis that saw the debt balloon to ₦250 billion by the end of 2024. Both the NCC and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) previously intervened in December 2024 to find a resolution, urging both parties to settle their differences.

The latest policy is seen as part of broader efforts to end the impasse and ensure continuous access to USSD services for customers, while protecting the financial interests of telecom operators.