Nigerian Regulators Introduce New Framework for Automatic Refunds in Telecom Sector

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have unveiled a new framework to address consumer complaints regarding failed airtime and data purchases. The initiative mandates automatic refunds within 30 seconds for transactions not received.

The framework, developed after consultations with stakeholders, aims to tackle issues like erroneous recharges, delayed resolutions, and subscriber debits without receiving value. The framework includes a central monitoring dashboard to track failed transactions and ensure compliance.

The implementation is expected to start on March 1, 2026, pending final regulatory approvals and technical integrations. Temporary service disruptions in Kebbi, Zamfara, and Sokoto states were also reported due to fiber outages.