The Nigerian Communications Commission and the Central Bank of Nigeria have introduced a joint framework mandating refunds within 30 seconds for failed airtime and data transactions. The policy covers cases where subscribers are debited without receiving value, whether the failure occurs at a bank or with an NCC-licensed operator.
In a statement, the NCC said customers whose transactions remain pending may receive refunds within a maximum of 24 hours. The framework also assigns clear responsibility for refunds to deposit money banks, mobile network operators and other licensed service providers, backed by an enforceable service level agreement.
Speaking on the development, the Director of Consumer Affairs at the NCC, Mrs Freda Bruce-Bennett, said the framework establishes a central monitoring dashboard jointly hosted by the NCC and the CBN. She said the system will track transaction failures, refunds and service breaches in real time.
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Mrs Bruce-Bennett added that implementation is expected to begin on March 1, 2026, following final regulatory approvals and technical integration by operators and banks. She disclosed that more than ten billion naira has already been refunded to customers for failed airtime and data transactions ahead of the full rollout.
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