Nigeria USSD Debt Crisis Resolved

Commercial banks and telecommunications operators in Nigeria have resolved a four-year dispute over unpaid Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) fees, with nearly N300 billion in outstanding debt now fully cleared. The resolution was announced by Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), during a visit to the Nigeria===Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigeria===Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), was credited for his leadership in resolving the crisis. The dispute, which began in 2019, had posed a systemic risk to both sectors. Regulatory interventions by the Nigeria===Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigeria===Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) led to the introduction of an End-User Billing (EUB) framework, where USSD transaction fees are now deducted directly from customers' mobile airtime. Migration to this new billing structure occurred between June 3 and June 18, 2025, following partial debt repayments of N171 billion by banks. This resolution is expected to bring stability, transparency, and sustainability to Nigeria's digital financial landscape.