NCC, CBN to launch framework to ensure 30-second refunds for failed airtime, data purchases

Nigerian Communications Commission says it has agreed on a joint framework with the Central Bank of Nigeria to address consumer complaints arising from failed airtime and data transactions.

Under the new arrangement, subscribers who are debited without receiving airtime or data will be entitled to a refund within 30 seconds, the regulator said on Thursday.

In a statement, NCC spokesperson Nneka Ukoha said the framework was developed after months of consultations involving the NCC, the CBN, mobile network operators, value-added service providers, deposit money banks and other industry stakeholders.

She said the initiative reflects a coordinated response by the telecommunications and financial sectors to rising complaints from consumers who lose money during failed transactions caused by network downtime, system faults or human error.

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The framework introduces an enforceable service level agreement defining the responsibilities of mobile operators and banks in processing transactions and resolving disputes.

“Where a purchaser is debited but does not receive value for airtime or data — whether the failure occurs at the bank level or with an NCC licensee — the purchaser is entitled to a refund within 30 seconds,” Ukoha said. She added that where a transaction remains pending, refunds may take up to 24 hours.

The framework also requires operators to notify customers by SMS on the success or failure of every transaction. It covers errors such as recharges sent to ported lines, incorrect airtime or data purchases and transfers to the wrong phone number.

Freda Bruce-Bennett, director of consumer affairs at the NCC, said the framework includes a central monitoring dashboard that will track failed transactions, refunds and breaches of service standards in real time.

She said the platform will be jointly hosted by the NCC and the CBN.

“Failed top-ups rank among the top three consumer complaints,” Bruce-Bennett said, adding that regulators were determined to resolve the issue quickly. She said operators and banks had already refunded more than ₦10 billion to customers for failed transactions, pending final regulatory approval.

Bruce-Bennett said the framework is scheduled to take effect on March 1, subject to final approval by both regulators and the completion of technical integration by mobile operators, service providers and banks.

Oluwatosin Ogunjuyigbe is a writer and journalist who covers business, finance, technology, and the changing forces shaping Nigeria’s economy. He focuses on turning complex ideas into clear, compelling stories.

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