Beginning June 18, 2025, Nigerian telecom subscribers will be billed directly for USSD services at ₦6.98 per 120 seconds, according to ALTON. The new end-user billing model was introduced by the NCC in collaboration with the CBN. This shift replaces the former bank-billed method that caused prolonged disputes and service disruptions, NAN reports……READ ORIGINAL & FULL CONTENT HERE
The end-user billing model replaces a ₦250 billion debt-ridden bank billing system
Customers must opt in before charges are deducted from their airtime
Only banks meeting regulatory conditions can continue USSD integration
Direct charges are aimed at preserving USSD banking access, especially for underserved communities
MTN received ₦32 billion out of ₦72 billion owed by banks in February
The model ensures billing transparency and reduces service interruptions
What if the weight of connection is now borne by the very hands reaching for it? Might this signal a return to individual accountability in the digital age? Could it be that when institutions delay, the burden quietly shifts to those with the least leverage? How might we understand airtime not as mere data, but as currency in the struggle for financial inclusion? Does this invite us to reflect on whose voice is heard when networks hum, and who pays when they fall silent? Might we wonder if fairness is measured best not in policies, but in lived balances?
What quiet burdens do individuals carry when systems stall? How might everyday payments reveal deeper patterns of institutional responsibility?..…READ ORIGINAL & FULL CONTENT HERE
Sources: NAN, ALTON