.Minster wades in
Following the disconnection of its USSD by banks, MTN Nigeria has rolled out alternative channels to allow its subscribers carry out financial transactions on their lines. This came even as the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, has waded into the tussle between the telecom and the banks.
MTN in a statement signed by its Snr. Manager, External Relations, Mr. Funso Aina, said, “for the benefit of our customers who have been greatly inconvenienced by the service suspension, we now have alternative channels of accessing MTN services electronically.
The operator said its subscribers could make use of its ‘MTN On Demand’ on *904# and also via https://mtnondemand.flutterwave.com. It said the subscribers could also make use of Jumia Pay app, OPay app, Kuda app, Carbon app, MTN Xtratime airtime loans, and its MOMO agents.
Meanwhile, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, in a tweet on his official Twitter handle, stated that “On the fallout between @MTNNG and some banks on USSD services today, I engaged with both regulators, the Governor of @cenbank and EVC @NgComCommission. We have reached an advance stage of resolving the issues, for the services to be restored to our citizens. Many thanks!”
New Telegraph had yesterday reported that Nigerian banks restricted transactions on USSD channels with Nigeria’s biggest mobile network operator, MTN over a dispute on vending commission rate.
This restriction on MTN came as a dent on the recent resolution by both the telecommunications and banking industry regulators, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to resolve the USSD dispute which has lingered since 2019.
Last month, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) unveiled a new pricing model for USSD short code services for transacting mobile banking services, putting behind the two industry operators, the disagreement over a pricing model and modality for offsetting a debt of N42 billion owed the telecom operators by the banks.
It was resolved the regulators that effective March 16, 2021, USSD services for financial transactions conducted at DMBs and all CBN – licensed institutions will be charged at a flat fee of N6.98k per transaction per transaction., replacing the disputed Session Billing method.
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