NCC Threatens to Disconnect Nine Banks from USSD Services Over N200bn Debt
By Patience Ikpeme
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a stern warning to nine banks, threatening to disconnect them from their Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) codes due to outstanding debts exceeding N200 billion owed to telecom operators.
The affected banks are Fidelity Bank, First City Monument Bank, Jaiz Bank, Polaris Bank, Sterling Bank, United Bank for Africa, Unity Bank, Wema Bank, and Zenith Bank.
In a public notice issued on Tuesday, the NCC stated that these banks have failed to comply with directives to settle outstanding invoices to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), some dating back to 2020.
The commission noted that the USSD codes, crucial for enabling mobile banking services, could be reassigned to other applicants if the debts remain unresolved.
The NCC’s directive follows a joint circular issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the commission in December 2024, urging banks to settle their outstanding obligations. While some banks have cleared their debts, the total amount owed still surpasses N200 billion.
The NCC warned that consumers may be unable to access the USSD platforms of the affected financial institutions from January 27, 2025, if the banks fail to settle their debts by that date.
