The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have jointly developed a comprehensive framework aimed at resolving consumer complaints arising from failed airtime and data transactions across the country. The initiative is designed to protect subscribers who are debited for airtime or data purchases but do not receive the corresponding service due to network downtimes, system malfunctions, or human input errors.
The framework is the result of several months of extensive consultations and engagements involving key stakeholders from both the telecommunications and financial sectors. Participants in the discussions included mobile network operators, value-added service providers, deposit money banks, and other relevant industry players. These engagements were initiated in response to the increasing number of complaints from consumers who experienced unsuccessful airtime and data purchases, often accompanied by delayed or unresolved refunds.
In recent years, failed airtime and data transactions have emerged as one of the most persistent consumer pain points, with subscribers frequently reporting that their bank accounts were debited without receiving the intended service. In many cases, the resolution process was slow, unclear, or inconsistent, leading to frustration and loss of confidence in digital payment systems. The newly introduced framework represents a unified and coordinated response by regulators in both sectors to address these long-standing issues.
The framework clearly identifies the root causes of failed transactions, whether they occur at the banking stage, during payment switching, or within the systems of licensed telecommunications operators. It establishes a clear structure for accountability, ensuring that responsibility for each transaction can be traced and addressed without ambiguity. To achieve this, the framework introduces an enforceable Service Level Agreement (SLA) that defines the specific roles, obligations, and timelines for mobile network operators and deposit money banks throughout the transaction and complaint resolution process.
Under the new arrangement, subscribers who are debited for airtime or data purchases but do not receive value are entitled to an automatic refund within 30 seconds, regardless of whether the failure originated from the bank or the telecommunications service provider. However, in situations where a transaction remains pending rather than outright failed, the framework allows for a longer resolution window of up to 24 hours to enable proper reconciliation. This provision is intended to balance speed with accuracy while ensuring that consumers are not left indefinitely without recourse.
To strengthen transparency and oversight, the framework also provides for the establishment of a Central Monitoring Dashboard that will be jointly hosted and managed by the NCC and the CBN. The dashboard will enable both regulators to monitor failed transactions in real time, identify the responsible party, track refunds issued to consumers, and detect breaches of the agreed service level timelines. This real-time monitoring mechanism is expected to significantly improve compliance and reduce delays in resolving consumer complaints.
In addition to refund timelines, the framework mandates that all service providers notify consumers via SMS of the outcome of every airtime or data transaction. Subscribers must receive clear confirmation messages indicating whether a transaction was successful, failed, or pending, thereby eliminating uncertainty and improving customer experience. The framework also addresses common issues such as erroneous recharges to ported lines, incorrect data or airtime bundles, and transactions made to the wrong phone number, outlining procedures for prompt correction or refund.
As part of the transition toward full implementation, mobile network operators and banks have already begun processing refunds for past failed transactions. Collectively, refunds amounting to over ₦10 billion have been made to affected customers, pending the final approval and full rollout of the framework by the management of both regulatory bodies. This figure reflects the scale of the problem and underscores the urgency of the reforms.
The initiative marks a significant step toward enhancing consumer protection in Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital payments and telecommunications ecosystem. By aligning regulatory oversight across the financial and telecom sectors, the framework seeks to restore consumer confidence, promote accountability among service providers, and ensure that subscribers consistently receive full value for their purchases.
Once fully implemented, the framework is expected to reduce the volume of consumer complaints, streamline dispute resolution processes, and set a new standard for collaboration between regulators in addressing cross-sector challenges that affect millions of Nigerians daily.
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