Some telecom users using ussd services may be cut off today, should Mobile Network Operators, including MTN and Airtel, go ahead with their planned disconnection of services to indebted banks.
The disconnection of the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data service, follows an earlier permissions granted the telecom firms by the Nigerian Communications Commission—telecom regulator, to that directive.
Nine banks were listed as indebted and hence given till January 27, 2025, or risk losing access to their USSD codes, a vital service enabling customers to conduct banking transactions without internet access.
The nine listed banks and their USSD codes as at 15 January 2025 are Fidelity Bank Plc 770, First City Monument Bank 329, Jaiz Bank Plc 773, Polaris Bank Limited 833, Sterling Bank Limited 822, United Bank for Africa Plc 919, Unity Bank Plc 7799, Wema Bank Plc 945 and Zenith Bank Plc 966.
While some banks have made payments in line with directives from the NCC and the Central Bank of Nigeria, operators say a few remain non-compliant.
The NCC on the 15 January 2025 issued a statement stating that it has granted the the telecom operators the approval to disconnect any indebted bank.
The statement read in part “The Nigerian Communications Commission (the Commission) hereby notifies members of the public that it is granting approval to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to disconnect Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) Codes assigned by the Commission to financial institutions which are indebted to the MNOs if such institutions do not settle the outstanding invoices by Monday, January 27, 2025.The Commission will thereafter recover such Codes and may reassign them to other applicants in accordance with the applicable instruments.
“In fulfilment of its consumer protection mandate, the Commission wishes to inform consumers that they may be unable to access the USSD platform of the affected financial institutions from January 27, 2025.
“By the information made available to the Commission as at close of business on Tuesday, 14th January 2025, of a total of 18 financial institutions, the 9 institutions listed below have failed to comply significantly with the directives in the Second Joint Circular of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Commission dated December 20, 2024 for the settlement of outstanding invoices due to MNOs, some since 2020.
“The financial institutions’ failure to comply with the CBN-NCC Joint Circular also means that they are unable to meet the Good Standing requirements for the renewal of the USSD Codes assigned to them by the Commission.
“The financial institutions have been duly notified of the need for immediate compliance, in accordance with the Commission’s Guidelines, on Short Code Operation in Nigeria, 2023”, the statement added.
