Bank customers and phone subscribers have rejected the migration to the End-User Billing (EUB) model for Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) services which took effect from yesterday. The policy came into effect yesterday. Under the new billing model, USSD charges will be deducted directly from the customer’s airtime balance and not from their bank account. Also, each USSD session will …

Bank customers in Nigeria will now be charged directly by their mobile network operators for unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) services, starting today. The development comes two weeks after the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) directed deposit money banks (DMBs) to stop deducting charges for USSD transactions directly from customers’ accounts. Banks had notified customers via email that charges will now …

Telecommunication services were severely disrupted in at least nine states across Nigeria during the first week of June 2025, following multiple incidents of fibre cuts, data from the Nigerian Communications Commission’s live incident portal revealed. A review of the data showed that the disruptions affected major operators, including Airtel, MTN, 9Mobile, and Globacom, with interruptions reported in Rivers, Katsina, Lagos, …

The telecom operators in Nigeria, including MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Globacom and 9Mobile have threatened to withdraw network support for banks’ Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD), following what they described as gross misinformation of subscribers on the mode of deduction for transaction fees. USSD, commonly known as ‘bank transfers’, is done through short codes on mobile phones. Yesterday, the banks issued …

In order to bridge Nigeria’s digital divide, the Federal Government has announced the deployment of 7,000 new telecommunications towers across underserved communities, targeting more than 20 million Nigerians who currently lack access to any form of telecommunication services. The announcement was made by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, during a joint ministerial appearance on …

IHS Nigeria, a subsidiary of IHS Holding Limited, one of the world’s largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared communications infrastructure by tower count, has announced a strategic partnership with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to enhance the protection of critical telecommunications infrastructure across Nigeria. The two entities recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to …

MTN has said since 2001, it has committed over $10 billion into deepening Nigeria’s digital infrastructure, enhancing widespread connectivity and financial inclusion. Despite economic headwinds, the Group said it remained committed to Nigeria’s long-term potential and the broader African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) vision. The telecom giant said as Africa stands at the point of a profound transformation, the …

In Nigeria, agreement is a rare commodity. From politics to football, fuel prices to fashion trends, consensus is hard to come by. But there’s one issue where Nigerians seem to have found uncommon unity: ‘telcos are ripping us off’. The cry is loud, familiar and constant ‘My data just disappeared!” Today, it’s no longer an isolated complaint but a national …

Some federal lawmakers, yesterday, exchanged heated arguments with telecom operators in the country over the roles they are supposed to play to stem the tide of incessant kidnapping and other phone-related crimes in the country. The lawmakers said the telcos were not doing enough to track kidnappers, despite the number of calls they make to victims’ families demanding ransom. The …

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has proposed a 12-month grace period for subscribers to reclaim unused airtime on deactivated lines. The proposal was disclosed during a virtual stakeholder engagement forum held in Abuja on Tuesday. The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, who was represented by the Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, said the initiative …