The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have introduced a new system requiring instant refunds for failed airtime and data purchases, mandating refunds within 30 seconds or within 24 hours for pending transactions, while also requiring SMS notifications for every transaction.
In a statement released on Thursday by the NCC, the commission said the framework was designed to reduce the growing complaints from consumers who are debited for airtime or data without receiving value, especially during network downtimes, system glitches, or human input errors.
The framework is the outcome of several months of engagements involving the NCC, the CBN, Mobile Network Operators (MNOS), Value Added Service (VAS) providers, Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), and other relevant stakeholders. The discussions were prompted by a steady rise in failed airtime and data purchases, which often left subscribers waiting long periods before their issues were resolved.
According to the statement, the framework represents a unified position by both the telecommunications and financial sectors on how such complaints should be handled. It identifies and addresses the root causes of failed airtime and data transactions, including cases where bank accounts are debited without successful delivery of services.
The framework also prescribes an enforceable Service Level Agreement (SLA) for MNOs and DMBs, clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of each party involved in the transaction process and the resolution of complaints.
It further stated that under the new framework, where a purchaser is debited but fails to receive value for airtime or data, whether the failure occurs at the bank level or with an NCC licensee, the purchaser is entitled to a refund within 30 seconds. However, in situations where the transaction remains pending, the refund may take up to 24 hours.
In addition, the framework mandates operators to notify consumers via SMS of the success or failure of every transaction. It also covers issues such as erroneous recharges to ported lines, incorrect airtime or data purchases, and cases where transactions are made to the wrong phone number.
Speaking on the development, the Director of Consumer Affairs at the NCC, Mrs. Freda Bruce-Bennett, disclosed that the framework also establishes a Central Monitoring Dashboard to be jointly hosted by the NCC and the CBN. She explained that the dashboard would allow both regulators to monitor transaction failures, identify the responsible party, track refunds, and detect SLA breaches in real time.
“Failed top-ups rank among the top three consumer complaints, and in line with our commitment to addressing these priority issues, we were determined to resolve it within the shortest possible time,” she said.
She added, “We are grateful to all stakeholders, particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria and its leadership, for their tireless commitment to resolving this issue and arriving at this framework, and for ensuring that consumers of telecommunications services receive full value for their purchases.”
Mrs. Bruce-Bennett also revealed that, so far, pending the approval of the management of both regulators on the framework, MNOs and banks have collectively refunded over N10 billion to customers for failed transactions.
She further noted that implementation of the framework is expected to commence on March 1, 2026, once final approvals are granted and technical integration by all MNOS, VAS providers and DMBs is completed.
