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Bank Customers To Pay USSD Fees Directly From Airtime

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Bank Customers To Pay USSD Fees Directly From Airtime

Nigerian bank customers will now be charged directly by their mobile network operators for Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) services.

The latest comes two weeks after deposit money banks (DMBs) were instructed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to stop deducting charges for USSD transactions directly from customers’ accounts.

Subsequently, customers were notified through email that they would have charges deducted from their mobile airtime.

Giving an update on Wednesday, the chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, described the implementation of the USSD transaction deduction as a major step toward transparency and operational sustainability in the delivery of digital financial services.

He disclosed that the move is in line with NCC’s determination of USSD pricing and services, developed in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other stakeholders.

According to Adebayo, the new billing model would allow mobile network operators to charge customers directly for USSD sessions, with charges deducted from airtime balance at N6.98 per 120 seconds.

He said customers would receive a prompt to opt in and approve the charge before deduction, and billing would only occur for successful sessions.

Adebayo further assured customers that the move would not affect USSD banking services’ availability or functionality, and customers could continue using bank USSD codes with sufficient airtime.

“USSD services play a vital role in expanding access to financial services, particularly for unbanked and underbanked populations,” he said.

“However, the previous corporate billing model, where banks were billed by telecom operators, led to prolonged disputes over unpaid charges, service interruptions and uncertainty for customers.

“To address these challenges, the NCC’s 2025 determination introduced the End-User Billing (EUB) model, which allows mobile network operators to charge customers directly for USSD sessions.

“To achieve the implementation of the EUB model, the CBN and NCC have stipulated that only banks that meet certain regulatory and operational conditions are permitted to migrate.

“To ensure a smooth transition, we urge subscribers to follow support guidelines, alternative digital banking channels such as mobile apps, internet banking, and ATMs remain fully operational,” he stated.

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Stop Politicising EFCC Investigation To Blackmail President, APC Chieftain Tells Opposition Parties

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A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has cautioned members of opposition parties under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigation to stop blackmailing President Bola Tinubu and focus on proving their innocence.

Oyintiloye, a member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council, said this while speaking with newsmen on Sunday in Osogbo.

He said that the investigations being carried out by the anti-graft agency on some members of the opposition parties, based on petitions against them, were purely a constitutional matter and in line with international best practices.

Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker said that being a member of the opposition parties should not be seen as immunity against investigation into any alleged financial infractions whenever there were genuine reasons for it.

According to him, members of the ruling party are also being investigated by the EFCC whenever petitions alleging financial infractions are raised against them.

Oyintiloye said that the EFCC has a statutory mandate to investigate financial infractions involving public office holders across party lines without bias or favouritism.

The APC chieftain said that neither Tinubu nor the anti-graft agency would be swayed by unfounded allegations of witch-hunting but would rather continue to do what is right and just for the country.

“The EFCC has a mandate to investigate financial infractions against anyone, irrespective of political affiliations.

“Linking the President to the investigation of alleged financial infractions by opposition members in the name of politics is totally wrong.

“Whether you are a member of the ruling party or opposition, you are not immune to financial investigation.

“I want to caution members of the opposition parties to stop politicising what the EFCC is doing and prove their innocence, if any.

“President Tinubu is a man of honour and integrity, and he will not compromise his ideals in the name of politics. So, it is no longer business as usual,” he said.

According to him, there is no room for graft under the Tinubu administration

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BREAKING: Winner Emerges In Kano Bye-Election As APC, NNPP Lock Horns

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has emerged winner of the Ghari/Tsanyawa supplementary election in Kano state

The returning officer, Professor Muhammad Waziri of Bayero University, declared Garba Ya’u Gwarmai of the APC winner with 31,472 votes

Waziri defeated the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Yusuf Ali Maigado, who polled 27,931 votes

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has secured victory in the Ghari/Tsanyawa supplementary election held in Kano state.

Announcing the results on Sunday morning, August 17, the returning officer (RO), Professor Muhammad Waziri from Bayero University, declared APC candidate Garba Gwarmai the winner with a total of 31,472 votes.

He defeated the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Yusuf Maigado, who polled 27,931 votes, according to The Punch.

The supplementary poll was conducted after the initial election in the constituency was declared inconclusive. With a margin of 3,541 votes, Gwarmai’s victory marks a key win for the APC as the party continues to reinforce its influence across the state.

Meanwhile, the NNPP won the Bagwai/Shanono state assembly by-election in Kano state.

Daily Trust and Vanguard noted this update.

Announcing the result at 12:36 a.m. on Sunday, August 17, the RO for the election, Prof. Hassan Adamu Shitu, declared the NNPP candidate, Ali Hassan Kiyawa, winner with 16,198 votes, defeating the APC candidate, Ahmad Muhammad Kadamu, who polled 5,347 votes.

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Tinubu’s Government Lacks Effective Communication Strategy  - Babangida

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Nigeria, Benin Sign Integration Pact

Former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, has said that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is performing well but lacks an effective communication strategy to relay its achievements to Nigerians.

Aliyu made the statement on the Thursday edition of Arise Television’s ‘The Morning Show’, while reacting to the outcome of a recent public accountability session held in Kaduna.

Aliyu, reflecting on the discussions at the Kaduna Forum, said the government is facing public dissatisfaction not because it hasn’t delivered, but because it is failing to tell its own story effectively.

The ex-governor said it is proper for political leaders in the North to make demands from Tinubu’s administration since the bulk of the votes that took power came from the region.

“Let the people understand what is happening on the ground. If by what we say that 63/64 percent of the vote came from the north, it is only logical that the north will be expecting so much from the government.

“But from what we have seen so far is that the government is doing well but they do not know how to communicate very well,” he said.

 

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