Deposit Money Banks will now deduct charges for Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) transactions directly from users’ mobile airtime, following a new directive issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
This change was communicated to customers through an email from the United Bank for Africa (UBA) on Tuesday. According to the bank, the directive will take effect from June 3, 2025.
“In line with the directive of the Nigerian Communications Commission, please be informed that effective June 3, 2025, charges for USSD banking services will no longer be deducted from your bank account,” the notice read.
“Going forward, these charges will be deducted directly from your mobile airtime balance in accordance with the NCC’s End-User Billing model. Under this new billing structure, each USSD session will attract a charge of ₦6.98 per 120 seconds, which will be billed by your mobile network operator.
“You will receive a consent prompt at the start of each session, and airtime will only be deducted upon your confirmation and availability of the bank to fulfil this service. If you do not wish to continue using USSD banking under this new model, you may choose to discontinue use of the USSD channel.”
ALSO READ
UBA also reminded its customers that they could continue to access banking services through internet banking and other digital platforms for greater convenience.
This development may be part of the ongoing efforts to resolve longstanding disputes between commercial banks and mobile network operators over USSD fees.
Back in December 2024, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the NCC had jointly instructed both parties to settle a ₦250 billion debt arising from unpaid USSD services.
After telecom operators threatened to halt USSD services due to the mounting debt, the NCC in January warned it might suspend the service and even publish a list of defaulting banks.
On January 15, the commission ordered telecom companies to deactivate USSD codes assigned to nine banks by January 27 over non-payment. By February 28, MTN Nigeria confirmed it had received ₦32 billion of the ₦72 billion owed by banks as part of the debt settlement.
Telecom operators have consistently raised concerns about unpaid USSD charges, prompting ongoing efforts across the sector to resolve the matter.
