The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have developed a joint framework to address consumer complaints arising from failed airtime and data transactions.
The framework targets issues linked to unsuccessful purchases caused by network downtimes, system glitches or human errors, following months of engagements with mobile network operators (MNOs), value-added service (VAS) providers, deposit money banks (DMBs) and other stakeholders.
The discussions were triggered by rising complaints from subscribers who were debited for airtime or data without receiving value and faced delays in resolution.
Under the framework, consumers who are debited without receiving airtime or data are entitled to a refund within 30 seconds, whether the failure occurs at the bank level or with an NCC licensee. Where transactions remain pending, refunds may take up to 24 hours.
The framework represents a unified position by the telecommunications and financial sectors, identifies the root causes of failed transactions and introduces an enforceable Service Level Agreement (SLA) for MNOs and DMBs, clearly outlining their responsibilities.
Operators are also required to notify consumers via SMS of the success or failure of every transaction. The framework further addresses erroneous recharges to ported lines, incorrect purchases and transactions made to the wrong phone number.
Speaking on the development, the NCC’s Director of Consumer Affairs, Mrs Freda Bruce-Bennett, said a Central Monitoring Dashboard jointly hosted by the NCC and the CBN would enable regulators to monitor failures, track refunds and identify SLA breaches in real time.
She disclosed that, pending final approval by both regulators, MNOs and banks have already refunded over N10 billion to customers, adding that implementation of the framework is expected to begin on March 1, 2026.