Nigeria's New Telecoms Refund Framework

The Nigeria — Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigeria — Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have developed a new refund framework to address consumer complaints regarding failed airtime and data transactions. This framework mandates that subscribers who are debited without receiving value are entitled to a refund within 30 seconds, with a maximum of 24 hours for pending transactions. It also establishes an enforceable Service Level Agreement (SLA) for Mobile network operator and Deposit Money Bank, outlining their responsibilities. A Central Monitoring Dashboard, jointly hosted by the Nigeria — Nigerian Communications Commission and the Nigeria — Central Bank of Nigeria, will track failures, refunds, and SLA breaches in real time. The initiative, prompted by a rising incidence of failed transactions, aims to unify regulatory approaches across the telecommunications and financial sectors in Nigeria. Implementation is expected to commence on March 1, 2026, following final approvals and technical integration by all stakeholders. Already, Mobile network operator and Deposit Money Bank have collectively refunded over N10 billion to customers.