MTN Nigeria has confirmed the receipt of ₦32 billion from commercial banks as part of the ongoing settlement of the longstanding USSD debt dispute between telecommunications companies (telcos) and financial institutions.
USSD, short for Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, is a GSM protocol used for sending text-based commands that facilitate bank transfers, balance inquiries, bill payments, and other mobile banking services.
The payment comes after telcos threatened to withdraw USSD services due to the ₦250 billion accumulated debt owed by Nigerian banks for the use of their infrastructure.
The partial payment signals a step toward resolving the protracted dispute, but further negotiations are expected to address the outstanding balance and establish sustainable terms for future USSD transactions.
In December 2024, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) issued a joint circular to resolve the long-standing USSD debt impasse between banks and mobile network operators (MNOs).
Later in January 2025, TheCable reported that the NCC was planning to suspend the USSD service and publish a list of banks still owing telcos for the service.
Speaking to journalists at a forum with telecoms executives on February 2, Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), said progress towards the dispute’s final resolution was being made.