Korede Abdullah in Lagos, Hussaini Kafi in Kano and Sultan Rabiu in Abuja
Bank customers and telecom subscribers have kicked against the migration to the End-User Billing (EUB) model for USSD services, which began yesterday.
Africa Health Report (AHR) gathered that under the new arrangement, the N6.98 charge per 120-second USSD session will now be deducted directly from customers’ airtime rather than their bank accounts.
Dr. Uju Ogubunka, President of the Bank Customers Association of Nigeria (BCAN), had earlier condemned the move, describing it as an additional burden on already overstretched customers.
“We are worried that banks want to impose all the charges on customers. What stops the banks from including the fees as operational costs given the huge profits they keep declaring?” Ogubunka queried, urging the CBN and Bankers’ Committee to intervene to protect customers from exploitative charges.
Some customers who spoke with our correspondent on Thursday also expressed frustration, saying the charges are unfair and poorly communicated.
A trader at Lagos Island, Mrs. Temitope Razak, lamented: “It’s like they are looking for ways to frustrate poor people. Imagine deducting airtime that I need for calls just because I want to check my account balance.”
Similarly, a civil servant, Mr. Isaac Olawale, said: “These charges will discourage people from using banking services. The banks should have consulted us before changing the rules.”
Another customer who simply put his name as Kaycee expressed his frustration while both the NCC and the CBN could not rein in on both the commercial banks and the telecoms.
“I wonder why the customers will always be at the mercy of those economic predators, despite the huge profits they make. The charges are too oppressive and exploitative. The question is, what are the appropriate regulauthorities doing?”, he lamented.
The President of the Association of Telephone, Cable TV, and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria (ATCIS-Nigeria), Sina Bilesanmi, also faulted the process, saying: “Neither the telcos nor NCC carried the subscribers along. It’s not proper to take any major decision that will affect the end users without carrying them along.”
While telecom operators under the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) hailed the policy as a positive step for sustainable USSD service delivery, regulatory bodies have pledged further scrutiny. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) announced plans to probe the implementation of the N6.98 airtime charges amid complaints from consumers.
The FCCPC said: “We will investigate to confirm the position of the telecom on this. There is a need for more sensitisation before any enforcement.”
Meanwhile, banks like Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) have begun notifying customers of the new deductions, with messages saying the fee will now be deducted from airtime rather than bank balances.
Kano Residents Reject Charges on Airtime for USSD Transactions
Hussaini Kafi in Kano, reports that residents have kicked against the new policy that deducts airtime for USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) banking transactions, describing it as unjust and exploitative, especially in a time of economic hardship.
Auwal Ahmad Adam, a tailor operating in the Kofar Ruwa area of the state, said the move would further strain the finances of low-income Nigerians. “This is not right at all. I don’t have a smartphone, and I depend on USSD to send and receive money for my tailoring business. Now they are cutting my airtime for each transaction I make. It’s like punishing the poor for being poor,” he said.
Also expressing concern, Khalifa Musa, who works at a CBT (Computer-Based Test) centre in Sheka Quarters along Zoo Road, said the policy could frustrate the digital inclusion agenda. “A lot of people who use USSD are those without constant access to data or smartphones. If you’re charging them airtime for every little thing, they may stop using the service entirely. That’s not good for financial progress,” he said.
For Abdullahi Muhammad Ghali, who sells phones and accessories at Farm Centre GSM Market, the deductions are not only frustrating but bad for business. “I help customers activate bank codes or make quick transfers, and many of them are already complaining that their airtime disappears each time they use USSD. If this continues, people will stop using these services, and that will affect those of us in the mobile business,” he said.
The trio urged the federal government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), to scrap the policy and protect the interests of ordinary citizens who depend heavily on USSD for financial transactions.
Responders Call for Review of New USSD Billing Policy
Sultan Rabiu in Abuja, reports that Nigerians have expressed displeasure over the new USSD billing policy, which now deducts ₦6.98 directly from users’ airtime balance every 120 seconds during USSD sessions.
The change, which replaced the previous practice of charging the fee from users’ bank accounts, has drawn sharp reactions from citizens who say it disproportionately affects low-income and offline users.
According to some customers who spoke with Africa Health Report (AHR), they described the policy as unnecessary and uncalled for.
Speaking to our correspondent, Taiwo Adeyelu, a pharmacist, described the policy as poorly thought out. “The new policy isn’t a good idea. What happens if someone has no airtime? Will the transaction be declined or will their airtime balance become negative? The old policy was much better,” he said. Adeyelu also criticised the tariff as excessive, noting that network providers are already making huge profits from Nigerians.
Obasola Olatunde, a youth corps member, called the policy “inhumane and regressive,” especially in what he described as these difficult economic times. “For an average person like me doing a ₦500 or ₦1,000 transaction, losing ₦6.98 for just trying to access my money is painful,” he said, urging authorities to consider a flat daily fee or transaction-based charge.
“Many Nigerians use USSD because they don’t have smartphones or stable internet connections. Shifting the ₦6.98 fee to airtime, and deducting it every 120 seconds, directly affects those with limited resources. For someone trying to transfer money or check their balance, a slightly slow network or moment of confusion could result in multiple deductions which feels unfair,” he stated.
Another respondent, Osunda Moses, also condemned the policy, saying, “Honestly, this policy makes no sense. So now they’ll be deducting directly from airtime; charging ₦6.98 every 2 minutes? For USSD that sometimes hangs or cuts off? That’s not fair at all.” He added that not everyone has constant access to mobile data or knows how to use mobile apps, describing the policy as a punishment for ordinary users.
