The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are set to roll out a joint refund framework aimed at addressing consumer complaints arising from failed airtime and data transactions.
The framework is designed to protect subscribers who are debited for airtime or data purchases without receiving value due to network downtimes, system glitches or human errors.
It is the product of months of consultations involving the NCC, the CBN, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Value Added Service (VAS) providers, Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and other stakeholders.
According to the regulators, the initiative was necessitated by the growing incidence of failed airtime and data purchases, where subscribers’ bank accounts are debited without successful delivery of services, often accompanied by delays in complaint resolution.
The framework represents a harmonised position by the telecommunications and financial sectors on how such complaints should be handled. It identifies the root causes of transaction failures and introduces an enforceable Service Level Agreement (SLA) that clearly defines the responsibilities of MNOs, banks and other parties involved in the transaction and refund process.
Under the new arrangement, customers who are debited without receiving airtime or data will be entitled to an automatic refund within 30 seconds, regardless of whether the failure occurs at the bank level or with an NCC licensee. However, in cases where transactions remain pending, refunds may take up to 24 hours.
The framework also mandates operators to notify consumers via SMS of the success or failure of every airtime or data transaction. In addition, it provides guidelines for resolving issues related to erroneous recharges to ported lines, incorrect purchases and transactions sent to the wrong phone numbers.
Speaking on the development, the Director of Consumer Affairs at the NCC, Mrs Freda Bruce-Bennett, said the framework would be supported by a Central Monitoring Dashboard to be jointly hosted by the NCC and the CBN.
According to her, the dashboard will enable both regulators to monitor transaction failures in real time, identify responsible parties, track refunds and ensure compliance with the agreed SLAs.
“Failed top-ups rank among the top three consumer complaints, and in line with our commitment to addressing these priority issues, we were determined to resolve it within the shortest possible time,” Bruce-Bennett said.
She expressed appreciation to stakeholders, particularly the CBN, for their collaboration in developing the framework, adding that consumers would now be assured of full value for their purchases.
Bruce-Bennett disclosed that, pending final approval of the framework by the management of both regulators, MNOs and banks have already refunded over ₦10 billion to customers affected by failed airtime and data transactions.
She added that full implementation of the framework is expected to commence on March 1, 2026, subject to final approvals and the completion of technical integration by all MNOs, VAS providers and DMBs.
