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ALTON Clarifies on Migration to End-User Billing for USSD Services

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The Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) wishes to inform the public and all mobile subscribers that the migration to the End-User Billing (EUB) model for Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) services will take effect from Wednesday, 18th June 2025.

This transition marks a significant milestone in the evolution of Nigeria’s digital financial ecosystem and is being implemented per the Determination of USSD Pricing and Services issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The Determination was developed in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other key stakeholders to ensure a sustainable, transparent, and customer-friendly framework for USSD service delivery.

USSD services play a vital role in expanding access to financial services, particularly for unbanked and underbanked populations. 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 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. One of which is the notification to customers of the billing change in advance, and to ensure that customers are fully aware of the new airtime-based charges and how they will be applied.

Accordingly, under the new billing model, USSD charges will be deducted directly from the customer’s airtime balance, not from their bank account, and each USSD session will attract a charge of ₦6.98 per 120 seconds. To enjoy the service, customers will receive a prompt to opt in and approve the charge before any deduction is made, and there will be no double billing as billing will only occur for successful sessions via airtime deductions.

ALTON wishes to reiterate that this change does not affect the availability or functionality of USSD banking services, as customers can continue to use their bank’s USSD codes as usual, provided they have sufficient airtime.

To ensure a smooth transition, ALTON advises customers to follow these support guidelines:

For access issues (e.g., inability to dial USSD codes), contact your mobile network operator.

For transaction-related issues (e.g., failed transfers or service errors), contact your bank’s customer service.

– Both banks and mobile network operators are required to provide responsive support and mensure that customers can access and use USSD services without disruption.

Alternative digital banking channels such as mobile apps, internet banking, and ATMs remain fully operational and available for customer convenience.

ALTON reiterates its commitment to working closely with the NCC, CBN, financial institutions, and other stakeholders to ensure that this transition is seamless, equitable, and beneficial to all parties, especially the end users.

We remain dedicated to promoting transparency, operational efficiency, and consumer protection across Nigeria’s telecommunications and digital finance sectors.

 


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Telecom

Airtel Africa Grew Customer Base to 169m as Q1 Revenue Hits $1.4 Billion

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Airtel Africa has grown its customer base by 9.0% to 169.4 million, with data customers increasing 17.4% to 75.6 million with focus on bridging the digital divide across her markets continues. According to the telecommunications operator’s financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, which demonstrated strong growth across key metrics and a continued focus on expanding its services across its 14 African markets.

The operator reported a significant increase in revenue, reaching $1,415 million. This represents a 24.9% growth in constant currency and a 22.4% increase in reported currency, indicating a more stable macroeconomic environment in its operating regions and effective tariff adjustments, particularly in Nigeria.

The growth was broadly driven, with mobile services revenue increasing by 23.8% in constant currency. Data revenue showed exceptional performance, surging by 38.1%, while voice revenue grew by 13.9%. Mobile money services continued their strong upward trajectory, recording a 30.3% growth in constant currency. This was supported by accelerated growth in Francophone Africa (16.4% in constant currency) and continued strong performance in East Africa (20.3% in constant currency).

Airtel Africa’s profitability also saw a substantial uplift. EBITDA grew by 29.8% in reported currency to $679 million, with EBITDA margins expanding to 48.0% from 45.3% in the prior period. This margin expansion is attributed to sustained operating momentum, more stable fuel prices, and the ongoing benefits from cost efficiency programs.

Profit after tax saw a remarkable improvement, rising to $156 million compared to $31 million in the prior period. Basic Earnings Per Share (EPS) stood at 3.4 cents, a significant increase from 0.2 cents in the previous year, primarily reflecting higher operating profit in the current period and the absence of large derivative and foreign exchange losses that impacted the prior period.

Operational highlights further underscored the company’s growth. Airtel Africa’s total customer base expanded by 9.0% to 169.4 million. Data customers increased by 17.4% to 75.6 million, as the company intensified its efforts to bridge the digital divide. Mobile money customer base also grew by 16.1% to 45.8 million, with transaction value increasing by 28.7% in constant currency.

The company’s strategic focus on enhancing customer experience is supported by ongoing network investments. Over 2,300 new sites were rolled out, bringing the total to 37,579 sites, and the fiber network was expanded by 2,700 km, now exceeding 79,600 km. This investment has boosted data capacity across the region, with 4G population coverage reaching 74.7%, an increase of 3.4% year-on-year.

Airtel Africa continued its debt localization program, with almost 95% of its operating company debt (excluding lease liabilities) now in local currency, up from 86% a year ago, reducing foreign currency debt exposure. The company also confirmed it has returned $16.9 million to shareholders through its ongoing share buyback program as of June 30, 2025.

Sunil Taldar, chief executive officer, said: “We are very pleased with the strong growth in our operating and financial performance in the first quarter. The strength of this performance, and the scale of the growth we achieved, reflects the sustained demand for our services and the strength of our business model to meet these demands. Operationally, the acceleration in customer base growth to 9%, and 17.4% growth in our data customers to 75.6m reflects the strong on-ground execution with a relentless focus on digitisation and the simplification of the customer experience.”


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NITRA-ALTON CNII & Sustainability Conference Rescheduled for August 7 in Lagos

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The 2025 edition of the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) & Sustainability Conference has been rescheduled to hold on August 7, 2025, at CitiHeight Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, following a shift from its earlier date of July 30.

NITRA

The adjustment was made to accommodate a nationwide telecom stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The CNII Conference, jointly organised by the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) and Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), seeks to address the implementation and awareness gaps surrounding the CNII Order, signed into law by the Federal Government in August 2024.

The law designates telecom infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure, positioning it as a strategic asset vital to Nigeria’s economic and security framework. Industry groups including the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) have thrown their weight behind the initiative.

Speaking on the new date, NITRA Chairman, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, emphasised that the Act, though laudable, requires industry-wide collaboration and clear implementation strategy for tangible impact.

“The mere proclamation of CNII as an Act does not guarantee infrastructure safety. Stakeholders must address operational and standardisation gaps to make the law work,” he said.

ALTON Chairman, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, also highlighted the need for regular maintenance and technology upgrades to curb vandalism and ensure infrastructure security.

Focus Areas of the Conference Include:

  • Implementation mechanisms for the CNII Act.
  • Stakeholders’ roles at federal, state, and industry levels.
  • Security enforcement and public education.
  • Infrastructure protection and sustainability.
  • Collaboration and compliance across telecom companies.

Expected attendees include the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, regulators, service providers, security agencies, and key players in public and private sectors.

The event is themed “Industry Sustainability And CNII Conference 2025 – Way Forward”, with panel discussions aimed at creating a unified approach to safeguarding Nigeria’s telecom infrastructure under the CNII provisions.


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Telcos: How and Why Network Services have Been Poor

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Telecommunications operators (telcos) in Nigeria have explained that the recent poor quality of network services experienced across the country is largely due to the widespread vandalism and theft of critical telecom infrastructure, not a failure on their part.

Telcos: How and Why Network Services have Been Poor

Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, ALTON

The operators, under the aegis of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), said their efforts to improve services through massive investments and network upgrades are being undermined by unchecked sabotage and the lack of sufficient protection from security agencies.

They warned that unless urgent action is taken, the situation could worsen in the coming days, affecting not just voice and data services but also key sectors like banking, education, healthcare, and national security that rely on stable telecommunications.

A top official from one of the major mobile network providers, who spoke anonymously, said operators had kept their promise to enhance service quality following a recent tariff adjustment approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), but their efforts are being eroded by relentless vandalism.

“At the wake of the marginal price adjustment that the NCC approved for the sector, we promised to optimize our networks to give Nigerians a very robust service,” the official said

“But what we are seeing after making such huge investments is that vandals are carting away our facilities without a challenge and selling them in open markets. That’s why services are a bit poor and that is why if nothing is done urgently, it will get worse.

In a statement jointly signed by Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, and Damian Udeh, publicity secretary, ALTON expressed deep concern over the scale and spread of infrastructure sabotage across the country.

“Since the Federal Government’s decisive interventions earlier this year to support industry sustainability, our members have committed unprecedented levels of investment in network optimization and capacity upgrades,” the statement read.

“New systems are being deployed, transmission equipment modernized, power systems overhauled, and thousands of kilometers of fiber optic networks currently being laid and expanded. Our industry has not seen this scale of investment in recent years. We are working round the clock to improve the quality of service nationwide and we cannot afford these setbacks.”

Between May and July 2025, the association recorded numerous cases of vandalism at telecom sites across Rivers, Ogun, Osun, Imo, Kogi, Ekiti, Lagos, Abuja, and several other states, resulting in widespread outages and degraded service quality for millions of subscribers.

Stolen assets include power cables, rectifiers, fiber optic and feeder cables, diesel generators, batteries, and solar panels, all vital for maintaining consistent network availability.

“These are not mere materials, but the backbone of our digital economy, security systems, and national communications grid,” ALTON said. “We are alarmed at the frequency, intensity, and geographical spread of these incidents.”

Telcos on poor network services also raised alarm over a thriving black market for stolen telecom equipment.

“Batteries are being resold for household and office inverters, solar panels are stripped from sites and traded to unsuspecting buyers, while diesel meant for powering telecom base stations is routinely siphoned and sold.”

In addition to vandalism, ALTON cited damage caused by road construction and civil engineering projects, which frequently destroy underground fiber optic cables, leading to unplanned service disruptions and financial losses.

The group has called on key security stakeholders, including the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Inspector General of Police, the DSS, and the NSCDC to urgently step in and protect telecom assets nationwide.

 

 

 

 


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