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See Reasons NCC Considers Suspending USSD Service

Published by Tope Fakinlede on January 14th, 2025.

See Reasons NCC Considers Suspending USSD Service

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is contemplating significant actions to resolve the ongoing conflict between telecommunications companies and banks concerning the unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) debt, sources familiar with the matter have revealed.

Insiders indicate that the NCC may suspend USSD services entirely and release a list of banks that still owe telecom operators for the service.

Should this take place, the USSD channel would no longer be available for banking transactions.

While the exact timing of the suspension remains unclear, it is expected that the list of delinquent banks could be published by the end of the week.

This move is seen as part of broader efforts by the federal government to address challenges within the industry, particularly amid ongoing discussions on potential tariff increases by telecom operators.

USSD DEBT HAS INCREASED BY 681.2% SINCE 2019

Reports show that the USSD debt has surged by 681.2% since 2019, which has led to repeated threats from telecom operators to discontinue the service.

On March 12, 2021, telecom operators warned of suspending USSD services due to a ₦42 billion debt owed by banks (up from ₦32 billion in 2019). However, former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, intervened, halting the suspension.

By March 16, 2021, a resolution was reached between the banks and telecoms, adjusting the charge on USSD transactions to ₦6.98k per session.

According to the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), the debt reached ₦80 billion by November 2022.

By November 16, 2023, this debt had risen to ₦200 billion, up from ₦120 billion earlier that year.

As of October 22, 2024, ALTON’s Executive Secretary Gbolahan Awonuga reported the debt had ballooned to ₦250 billion.

Sources indicate that the NCC, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and other relevant stakeholders have been in talks to find a resolution, but these discussions have yet to produce significant results.

In a directive issued on December 24, 2024, the CBN and NCC instructed mobile network operators and banks to settle the debt, requiring financial institutions to pay 85% of the outstanding balance by December 31, 2024.

18 BANKS STILL OWE AS OF DECEMBER 31

However, according to a source, as of December 31, 2024, 18 banks had not paid their debts, while only four banks had made payments.

The NCC is reportedly frustrated by what it perceives as the banks’ lack of urgency in addressing the issue. As a result, the commission plans to publicly announce the names of the defaulting banks.

The notice will inform customers of the situation, stating that “the following banks have not yet settled their debts.” The NCC intends to give the public two weeks to find alternative methods for transactions, while banks will have a similar timeframe to clear the outstanding debts or face being disconnected from the USSD service.