The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) directed all Deposit Money Banks to deduct charges for USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) transactions directly from customers’ mobile airtime and no more from their bank accounts.
The new billing system, announced by the United Bank for Africa (UBA), took effect on June 3, 2025. Under this arrangement, users are charged ₦6.98 for every 120 seconds of USSD used, with deductions made by telecom operators from the customer’s airtime. Customers will also receive a consent prompt at the beginning of each session before any deduction is made.
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This policy shift is intended to resolve the prolonged conflict between banks and telecom providers over unpaid USSD service fees, which have reportedly grown to about ₦250 billion. In December 2024, the NCC and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervened, urging both parties to find a long-term solution.
The directive follows months of negotiation and reflects NCC’s decision to implement the End-User Billing (EUB) model, which places the cost burden on individual users rather than banks. While banks have begun informing customers of the change, some telecom operators argue that unresolved debts and lack of clear agreements remain a concern.
The NCC says the move is to promote transparency and fairness in service usage. Customers who prefer not to be charged from their airtime are encouraged to use alternative platforms such as mobile apps or internet banking.
