By Abiola Olawale
Telecommunications operators in Nigeria have begun the implementation of a new mode of paying the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) service fee.
Starting Wednesday, June 18, 2025, fees from bank transactions made via USSD codes will now be deducted by telecommunications operators in Nigeria.
This comes after the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in tandem with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has greenlit an End-User Billing (EUB) model to end a years-long feud between telecoms and banks over unpaid USSD fees.
With the new system, telecoms will be charging ₦6.98 per 120-second USSD session directly from the customer’s airtime.
This announcement was made by the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON).
ALTON said this migration aims to create a more sustainable, transparent, and customer-friendly framework for delivering USSD services, especially in Nigeria’s growing digital financial landscape.
But it has generated uproar and mass reaction from Nigerians, who are unhappy with the migration.
It was also gathered that under the new arrangement, customers will receive a prompt to opt in before the charge is applied, and only successful sessions will be billed.
“With this transition, mobile network operators will now charge customers directly, ensuring a more accountable and efficient system,” said ALTON Chairman, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, in the statement.
To qualify for migration to the new model, ALTON said banks must meet specific regulatory and operational conditions, including notifying customers about the change in billing well in advance.
It added that customers must also be educated on how the charges will be applied.
