The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed telecom operators to disconnect the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) codes of nine banks over unpaid debts.
In a notice signed by NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, the affected banks have until January 27, 2025, to settle their outstanding debts or risk disconnection.
The total debt, some dating back to 2020, was initially over ₦200 billion, though the specific amount owed by the banks was not disclosed.
The defaulting banks are Fidelity Bank Plc, First City Monument Bank, Jaiz Bank Plc, Polaris Bank Limited, Sterling Bank Limited, United Bank for Africa Plc, Unity Bank Plc, Wema Bank Plc, and Zenith Bank Plc.
USSD codes like *770#, *919#, and *822# may be reassigned to other applicants if the debts remain unpaid.
The NCC warned that these banks risk losing their USSD renewal rights due to non-compliance with the joint directive issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the NCC on December 20, 2024.
The commission cautioned consumers that they may experience service disruptions on the affected banks’ USSD platforms starting January 27, 2025.
Meanwhile, CBN data shows that 252.06 million USSD transactions valued at ₦2.19 trillion occurred between January and June 2024.