The Central Bank of Nigeria has published a National Framework on Failed Airtime and Data Transactions, developed with the Nigerian Communications Commission, to standardise how banks and telecoms stakeholders identify failed airtime and data purchases and reverse customer debits when value is not delivered. The framework establishes unified service level agreements (SLAs) across the value chain and links refunds, reconciliation and dispute handling to prescribed timelines and common transaction status codes. Operational requirements include end-to-end transaction visibility, unique transaction codes and standardised response and error codes, with real-time exchange of fulfilment or failure messages between issuing institutions, payment acquirers, NCC Authorized Licensees, merchants and mobile network operators (MNOs). SLA tables set an expectation of automated customer refunds within 30 seconds for failed transactions and require banks to limit transaction re-attempts to two; the root-cause recommendations also call for SLAs to include minimum seven-day stock holding by NCC Authorized Licensees. MNOs must validate MSISDNs, including against the central number portability database for ported lines, and block invalid or mismatched numbers with tailored failure messages to support immediate reversal; pending transactions are to be re-queried and, if unresolved, treated as failed so banks can refund customers. For oversight, stakeholders are required to connect only to relevant authorised licensees, and the framework provides for a CBN/NCC-hosted central monitoring dashboard to track reversals, SLA breaches and complaints, alongside daily success and failure reporting and quarterly SLA compliance scorecards. Disputes not resolved between parties within five working days are to be escalated to the two regulators, and CBN and NCC may audit compliance and impose penalties for breaches.
Central Bank of Nigeria 2026-02-09
Central Bank of Nigeria issues national framework setting unified SLAs and 30-second refunds for failed airtime and data purchases
The Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Communications Commission have issued a National Framework on Failed Airtime and Data Transactions to standardize identification and reversal of failed transactions. It mandates unified service level agreements, real-time transaction visibility, and automated refunds within 30 seconds. It also establishes oversight mechanisms, including a central monitoring dashboard and provisions for audits and penalties for non-compliance.