The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are set to roll out a joint refund framework aimed at resolving consumer complaints arising from failed airtime and data transactions.
The initiative is part of efforts by both regulators to protect consumers who are debited for airtime or data purchases without receiving value due to network downtimes, system glitches or human errors.
The framework 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 key stakeholders. The engagements were triggered by a growing number of complaints from subscribers over unsuccessful airtime and data purchases and delays in refunds.
According to the NCC, the framework represents a unified position by the telecommunications and financial sectors on addressing such challenges. It identifies the root causes of failed transactions, including instances where customers’ bank accounts are debited without successful service delivery, and introduces enforceable Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that clearly define the responsibilities of all parties involved.
Under the new arrangement, customers who are debited without receiving airtime or data will be entitled to a refund within 30 seconds, whether the failure occurs at the bank level or with an NCC licensee. However, in cases where a transaction is pending, the refund may take up to 24 hours.
The framework also mandates operators to notify customers via SMS on the success or failure of every transaction. It further addresses issues such as erroneous recharges to ported lines, incorrect airtime or data purchases, and transactions made to the wrong phone number.
Speaking on the development, the Director of Consumer Affairs at the NCC, Mrs. Freda Bruce-Bennett, disclosed that the framework provides for the establishment of a Central Monitoring Dashboard to be jointly hosted by the NCC and the CBN. She said the dashboard would enable both regulators to monitor transaction failures, identify responsible parties, track refunds and detect SLA breaches in real time.
“Failed top-ups rank among the top three consumer complaints, and in line with our commitment to resolving priority consumer issues, we were determined to address this within the shortest possible time,” she said.
Mrs. Bruce-Bennett expressed appreciation to stakeholders, particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria, for their commitment to resolving the issue and ensuring that telecommunications consumers receive full value for their purchases. She revealed that, pending final approval of the framework, MNOs and banks have jointly refunded over N10 billion to customers for failed transactions.
She added that implementation of the framework is expected to commence on March 1, 2026, following final approvals by the management of both regulators and the completion of technical integration by all MNOs, VAS providers and DMBs.
