NCC approves Telcos’ disconnection of USSD services from debtor banks (Full List)

*The Nigerian Communications Commission notifies telecoms consumers of its approval to Mobile Network Operators’ request to disconnect USSD Codes assigned to nine banks indebted to them, if such financial institutions fail settle their outstanding invoices with the concerned Telcos by Monday, January 27, 2025

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

The Nigerian Communications Commission notified members of the public that it is granting approval to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to disconnect Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) Codes, which the Commission assigned to financial institutions that are indebted to the MNOs, if such institutions do not settle the outstanding invoices by Monday, January 27, 2025.

The NCC said it would thereafter recover such Codes, and might reassign them to other applicants in accordance with the applicable instruments.

Mr. Reuben Mouka, Director of Public Affairs at NCC, disclosed this development in a public notice titled, “Notice Of Approval To Telecommunications Companies To Withdraw USSD Services To Debtor Financial Institutions”, signed and released Wednesday, January 15, 2025.

NCC’s core mandate is consumer protection

Mouka, in the notice, also emphasised that in fulfilment of the telecoms sector regulatory Commission’s consumer protection mandate, the NCC “wishes to inform consumers that they may be unable to access the USSD platform of the affected financial institutions from January 27, 2025.”

The Commission also explained: “By the information made available to the Commission as of close of business on Tuesday, 14th January, 2025, of a total of 18 financial institutions, the nine institutions listed below have failed to comply significantly with the directives in the Second Joint Circular of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Commission dated December 20, 2024, for the settlement of outstanding invoices due to MNOs, some since 2020.

“The financial institutions’ failure to comply with the CBN-NCC Joint Circular also means that they are unable to meet the Good Standing requirements for the renewal of the USSD Codes assigned to them by the Commission.”

The industry regulator stated: “The financial institutions have been duly notified of the need for immediate compliance in accordance with the Commission’s Guidelines on Short Code Operation in Nigeria, 2023.”

The affected financial institutions and the impacted USSD Codes as noted above.