Nigerians to Receive Immediate Refunds for Failed Telecom Transactions

Nigerian telecom users will begin receiving automatic refunds for failed airtime and data purchases under a new framework introduced by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The policy, which takes effect from 1 March 2026, requires refunds to be made within 30 seconds where customers are charged but do not receive service.

In cases involving system delays, the transaction must be resolved within 24 hours, while mobile operators will be required to confirm the outcome of every attempt by text message.

Regulators say trial runs of the framework have already resulted in refunds of more than ₦10bn to customers through banks and telecom operators.

The NCC’s Director of Consumer Affairs, Freda Bruce-Bennett, said unresolved airtime and data debits remain among the most frequent complaints received by the commission.

To ensure compliance, the NCC and CBN will jointly run a real-time monitoring platform to track failed transactions and determine where responsibility lies between banks and telecom companies.

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