The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) grants approval to mobile network operators (MNOs) to disconnect the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) codes of nine commercial banks due to unpaid debts. The banks affected include First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Zenith Bank, Sterling Bank, Jaiz Bank, UBA, Polaris Bank, Unity Bank, Fidelity Bank, and Wema Bank.
This decision comes after years of unresolved payments by the banks for USSD services, even though they continue to charge their customers for these transactions. Mobile operators—MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile—have repeatedly raised concerns about the growing debt, which dates back to 2020.
The NCC announces that the disconnections will take effect unless the banks clear their outstanding debts within two weeks. The deadline for payment is January 27, 2025. If the debts remain unsettled, millions of bank customers will lose access to USSD services from the affected institutions. Additionally, the NCC states that any unresolved USSD codes may be reassigned to other applicants.
This action follows a joint directive from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and NCC issued in December 2024, which mandates banks to settle a portion of their USSD debt and halt any legal proceedings regarding the issue. The directive also outlines payment plans for the banks.
As of January 14, 2025, the nine banks are the only ones among 18 financial institutions that have not complied with the directive to settle outstanding debts. Their failure to meet these obligations means they are unable to renew their USSD codes, a requirement for maintaining the service.
The NCC confirms that it has informed the affected banks of their non-compliance and the urgent need for debt settlement to avoid disconnection. The Commission reassures the public that it will continue to protect consumers from disruption in financial services.
This action represents ongoing efforts by telecom regulators to resolve the long-standing issue of unpaid USSD service debts, which have accumulated to an estimated N120 billion.
 grants approval to mobile network operators (MNOs) to disconnect the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) codes of nine commercial banks due to unpaid debts. The banks affected include First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Zenith Bank, Sterling Bank, Jaiz Bank, UBA, Polaris Bank, Unity Bank, Fidelity Bank, and Wema Bank.){kind=link}