Banks Lift Ban On MTN USSD Service

Nigerian banks have restored  Unstructured Supplementary Service Data  and banking app services for MTN Nigeria’s subscribers two days after fallout between the telco and some banks.

The service was restored following the  intervention of the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Communications Commissions.

Pantami had said, “I engaged  with both regulators, the Governor of the Central Bank and Executive Vice Chairman NCC.  We have reached an advanced stage of resolving the issues, for the services to be restored to our citizens.”

THE WHISTLER observed that Access Bank restored MTN as one of the billers on its mobile app around on Sunday.

But the USSD service for MTN subscribers started working hours later.

The banks had blocked the country’s biggest mobile operator after it reduced banks’ commission from an average of 3.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent which predicated the actions of the banks.

Findings had shown that the contract with convenience channel partners and aggregators through which they were indirectly connected to the banks allowed the reduction.

An official had said that the telecom firm stated, “The channels were blocked at midnight leaving our customers stranded. Interesting that the bank Managing Directors met and quickly took a decision.

“Subscribers to telecommunications are being denied services by the banks even when they have money in their accounts.”

Confirming the development, Pantami tweeted on Sunday, ” The services have been restored since early morning, today. Best wishes!”