The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have proposed a new initiative for immediate refunds on failed airtime and data purchases. Customers will receive refunds within 30 seconds to address ongoing billing complaints in the telecommunications sector.
The details were included in the Joint CBN–NCC Framework for Resolution of Failed Airtime and Data Purchase Transactions, published on the CBN website on February 5, 2026. This landmark proposal aims to establish clearer accountability and a coordinated approach to consumer redress.
A key feature of the framework is the standardization of automated timelines for resolving failed transactions, a move expected to eliminate long delays currently faced by customers. The draft specifies that refunds should occur automatically within a 30-second window under certain conditions, such as when transactions fail at the bank or aggregator level.
To further improve consumer satisfaction, stakeholders are urged to automate reversal processes and connect only with relevant authorized licensees. Additionally, a Central Monitoring Dashboard will be jointly hosted by the CBN and NCC to monitor compliance, track reversals, service level agreement breaches, and customer complaints in real-time.
The draft also addresses issues related to “lost” money when customers recharge ported numbers, mandating MNOs to validate numbers against a ported database before processing recharges.
Both regulatory bodies are committed to compliance, pledging to conduct joint audits and impose penalties for any breaches of the new rules. Banks and financial institutions have until February 10, 2026, to submit feedback on the draft before finalization. Once implemented, this framework is expected to restore subscriber trust in Nigeria’s digital financial ecosystem.
