CBN, NCC Unveil Failed Top-up Rules

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have released a joint 20-page framework to eliminate the “value-not-received” crisis affecting airtime and data purchases.

The policy aims to fix the frequent gap where customer accounts are debited despite transactions failing to deliver service.

Under the proposed rules, most failed purchases will trigger an automatic refund within 30 seconds, with a maximum resolution window of 24 hours for complex cases.

CBN (News Central TV) — CBN and NCC unveiled failed top-up rules. Credit: TVC News

To ensure accountability, both regulators will co-host a Central Monitoring Dashboard to track transaction failures and service-level breaches in real time.

Stakeholders have until February 20, 2026, to provide feedback before the system’s full implementation.

Author

Abisoye Adeyiga

Abisoye Adedoyin Adeyiga holds a PhD in Languages and Media Studies and a Master’s in Education (English Language). Trained in digital marketing and investigative journalism, she is passionate about new media’s transformative power. She enjoys reading, traveling, and meaningful conversations.