By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
Telecom operators in Nigeria will now deduct Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), charges directly from subscribers’ airtime, following a new End-User Billing (EUB), framework approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Under the new model, MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile will bypass banks and collect the standard ₦6.98 per USSD session directly from users, ending a long-standing dispute over unpaid service fees.
Telcos claim banks owed them over ₦200 billion for USSD services rendered by the end of 2024.
National President of the Association of Telecoms Subscribers, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, hailed the move as a long-overdue reform that ensures transparency and accountability.
“Before now, banks deducted charges from users but failed to remit payments to telcos,” he said.
The Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), confirmed the rollout of the new regime, with banks like GTB, UBA, and FCMB already notifying customers of the change.
ALTON Chairman Gbenga Adebayo described the shift as a major milestone in Nigeria’s digital financial ecosystem, assuring subscribers that USSD services would continue uninterrupted.
A phased repayment plan has also been agreed upon to settle the banks’ outstanding debts, with deadlines extending to December 2025.
Stakeholders believe the change will enhance trust, improve service quality, and promote digital inclusion, especially in underserved communities.
