Beginning today, telecommunication companies in Nigeria will commence the implementation of charges for Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) services used by bank customers.
This development follows a prolonged disagreement between banks and telecom operators over who should bear the cost of USSD sessions, which are widely used for mobile banking transactions such as checking account balances, transferring money, and buying airtime.
According to telecom industry sources, the new billing structure will see customers charged directly for each USSD transaction, with the cost deducted from their airtime balance. The standard charge is ₦6.98 per USSD session, although this may vary slightly across networks and banks.
The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) had previously announced that telcos were owed billions of naira by banks in unpaid USSD fees, prompting the decision to transfer the billing responsibility to users.
In response, some banks have started sending notifications to customers, alerting them to the new charges.
While the move is aimed at ensuring sustainability and continued service, it has drawn criticism from consumer rights groups who argue that it places an additional financial burden on ordinary Nigerians already dealing with economic challenges.
USSD remains a critical tool for banking in Nigeria, especially among the unbanked and underbanked populations without access to smartphones or internet banking.
