CBN and NCC issue a draft to fix failed airtime recharges

Nigeria's central bank and telecom regulator are drafting new rules to fix the chronic problem of debited accounts that never deliver airtime or data bundles.

Unified Service Level Agreement aims for instant refunds

• The CBN and NCC framework mandates automatic reversals within 30 seconds for most failed transactions.
• A central monitoring dashboard will track SLA violations, reversals, and customer complaints in real time.
• The proposal targets failures at banks, mobile operators, and NCC-authorized licensees.
• Both regulators hope standardized timelines will rebuild trust in digital payments and telecom services.

Technical fixes tackle integration gaps and inventory issues

• Mobile operators must validate numbers against the ported database before processing recharges.
• NCC-licensed providers need at least seven days of transaction stock to prevent service disruptions.
• Systems must generate clear error messages for invalid numbers or unavailable products.

Erroneous recharge recovery procedures get spelled out

• Mistakes above ₦20,000 require customers to provide an Affidavit of Indemnity before recovery.
• Transactions between ₦1,000 and ₦20,000 need recipient consent before the operator reverses credit.
• Provider disputes unresolved after five working days get escalated to the regulators.

Public consultation window closes February 20

• The CBN is collecting feedback from banks, payment providers, telecom operators, and consumers.
• Stakeholders must submit comments to the Consumer Protection and Financial Inclusion Department by the deadline.