Nigeria’s Central Bank (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have unveiled a new system to ensure that consumers who pay for airtime or data but do not receive the service are refunded almost instantly. The programme, set to take effect on March 1, 2026, will allow subscribers to receive reimbursements within 30 seconds for failed transactions.
The initiative follows months of collaboration between the regulators, mobile network operators, banks, and other service providers. The framework aims to resolve persistent issues where users are debited during system errors, network outages, or accidental inputs, yet refunds have historically been delayed for days or even weeks.
A formal Service Level Agreement (SLA) will govern the process, specifying the responsibilities of banks, telcos, and intermediaries. Transactions that fail will trigger an automatic refund. Only payments that remain pending for technical reasons may take up to 24 hours. Customers will also receive SMS notifications confirming the success or failure of each top-up.
The framework also addresses common mistakes such as recharges sent to the wrong phone numbers or to ported lines, and accidental purchases. To enforce compliance, the NCC and CBN will operate a Central Monitoring Dashboard that tracks failed transactions, refunds, and SLA performance in real time.
Freda Bruce-Bennett, Director of Consumer Affairs at the NCC, described the plan as a major step toward consumer protection. “Failed top-ups are among the most frequent complaints we receive. This system ensures that Nigerians are reimbursed promptly, improving trust in digital services,” she said.
Bruce-Bennett added that early implementation has already returned over ₦10 billion ($7 million) to affected subscribers.
Once fully implemented, the initiative is expected to streamline refunds, reduce disputes, and strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s telecommunications and financial ecosystems.
