CBN, NCC to clamp down on airtime failures with routine audits

From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) are moving to tackle persistent failures in airtime and data purchases by proposing regular joint audits of banks, telecom operators and other ecosystem participants.

The proposal is outlined in an exposure draft jointly issued by the regulators on February 5, 2026. It targets growing consumer complaints over failed transactions, where customers’ accounts are debited but airtime or data is not delivered.

Under the draft framework, the CBN and NCC aim to enforce accountability across the financial and telecommunications value chains, standardise resolution timelines, and strengthen consumer redress mechanisms. “The NCC and CBN will audit Stakeholder compliance jointly or individually at quarterly or other intervals as may be determined,” the document published on the CBN website on Monday reads.

The audits will cover banks, mobile network operators, payment service providers, merchants, and NCC-authorised licensees involved in airtime and data vending. The objective is to verify adherence to service level agreements (SLAs), operational capacity, and consumer protection obligations.

Regulators also plan to conduct routine checks to ensure only properly licensed and authorised entities participate in airtime and data transactions. This measure is aimed at curbing system weaknesses caused by unlicensed intermediaries and poorly integrated platforms. Where breaches are identified, the framework empowers the CBN and NCC to impose penalties, extending enforcement beyond voluntary compliance.

Real-time reversals, strict transaction timelines

A key pillar of the framework is the introduction of unified SLAs with strict timelines for processing transactions and reversals.

For failed transactions, the draft mandates real-time notifications across banks, NCC-authorised licensees, and mobile network operators, with automated refunds to customers expected within seconds once failure is confirmed.

In simulated or sandbox environments, unfulfilled airtime or data purchases must be refunded within 30 seconds. The framework also limits transaction retries by banks to a maximum of two, reducing the risk of multiple debits during network downtime. Customers will be promptly informed of transaction statuses—pending, failed, or successful—helping to eliminate ambiguity that has historically delayed refunds.

Central monitoring dashboard to boost transparency

To improve oversight, the draft framework proposes the creation of a central monitoring dashboard jointly hosted by the CBN and NCC. The dashboard will track failed transactions, reversals, SLA breaches, and consumer complaints across the ecosystem, providing regulators with real-time visibility into systemic issues.

Additionally, stakeholders will be required to maintain daily reports of successful and failed transactions, sharing them with relevant parties. Banks, telcos, and other participants will also publish quarterly SLA compliance scorecards. Regulators believe this will encourage self-regulation, improve operational discipline, and restore consumer trust in digital airtime and data channels. The exposure draft has been released for public consultation, inviting stakeholders to submit feedback before the framework is finalised and enforced nationwide.