In a move aimed at protecting consumers, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have developed a new framework to address complaints arising from failed airtime and data purchases caused by network downtimes, system errors, or human input mistakes.
The initiative is the result of several months of collaboration involving mobile network operators (MNOs), value-added service (VAS) providers, deposit money banks (DMBs), and other stakeholders.
It comes in response to growing concerns over instances where subscribers were debited without receiving airtime or data, often experiencing long delays in resolving such issues.
Under the framework, consumers who are debited but do not receive value for airtime or data will now be entitled to a refund within 30 seconds, except for transactions that remain pending, which can take up to 24 hours.
The framework also introduces an enforceable Service Level Agreement (SLA) for MNOs and banks, clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved in the transaction and resolution process.
Additionally, the system requires operators to notify customers via SMS on the success or failure of every transaction.
It will also address issues such as erroneous recharges to ported numbers, incorrect purchases, and transactions sent to wrong phone numbers.
Speaking on the development, Mrs. Freda Bruce-Bennett, Director of Consumer Affairs at the NCC, revealed that a Central Monitoring Dashboard, jointly hosted by the NCC and CBN, will track transaction failures, assign responsibility, monitor refunds, and highlight SLA breaches in real time.
“Failed top-ups rank among the top three consumer complaints, and this framework ensures these issues are resolved quickly,” she said.
“Pending approval by management, MNOs and banks have already refunded over ₦10 billion to customers for failed transactions.”
The framework is expected to be implemented on March 1, 2026, following final approvals from both regulators and completion of technical integration by MNOs, VAS providers, and DMBs.
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