USSD Charges (1).webp
USSD banking is no longer free, the NCC now says your airtime, not your bank account, will be charged ₦6.98 per 120-second session. It’s a major shift aimed at ending a ₦250bn debt fight between banks and telcos.
  • Charges move from bank accounts to mobile airtime
  • ₦6.98 now applies per 120-second USSD session, with user consent
  • MTN has already recovered ₦32bn of the ₦72bn it was owed
  • NCC steps in to resolve a long-running telco-bank billing standoff
  • Low-income users without smartphones likely to feel the squeeze
This change fixes a corporate fight, but passes the cost to everyday Nigerians. For those without data or smartphones, USSD is the only way to bank. Now, with airtime deductions, essential transactions like checking balances or sending money could become unaffordable. The NCC says it’s about fairness. But for many, it feels like being caught in the crossfire of a fight they never started.

Your airtime just became your bank fee. Will this push more people online or leave the unbanked further behind?