- Subscribers can reclaim airtime within one year
The Nigerian Communications Commission has mandated Mobile Network Operators, including MTN and Glo, to submit records of all unclaimed and unused airtime belonging to subscribers who have stopped using their lines.
The guidelines were announced Tuesday during the stakeholder engagement forum due to unused claims.
Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of NCC, Aminu Maida, highlighted the importance of this development and found that the telecom industry is consistently managing economic growth, financial inclusion and digital transformation across Nigeria.
“With the widespread reliance on mobile services, prepaid plans have provided millions of Nigerians with flexibility and affordability,” Maida said.
He continued: “As the sector evolves, and in line with our commitment to ensuring Quality of Experience for telecom consumers, we must address emerging challenges, especially those that may compromise consumer rights. One such is the fate of prepaid balances when accounts become inactive.
“Striking the right balance between safeguarding consumer rights, ensuring effective regulatory oversight, and maintaining industry sustainability requires a collective effort.”
Maida further explained that under the Quality-of-Service Business Rules 2024, any prepaid line without a Revenue Generating Event for six months must be deactivated. If inactivity continues for another six months, the line is eligible for recycling.
Subscribers, however, retain the right to reclaim their unused credit within one year, provided they can prove ownership of the affected line.
“The broader debate remains should operators be required to refund unused airtime, or should the principle of ‘use it or lose it’ prevail?” he questioned.
“Our goal is to arrive at a framework that protects consumers while ensuring the continued efficiency and competitiveness of the industry.”
In her remarks, the NCC’s Head of Legal & Regulatory Services, Mrs. Chizua Whyte, said the new draft guidance aims to set out fair, transparent procedures for managing unclaimed balances.
According to Whyte, the proposed guideline will ensure subscribers retain rightful access to their purchased credit while giving operators clear regulatory direction.
She added that the document “requires operators to conduct comprehensive audits of all churned numbers and submit detailed documentation of all unclaimed and unutilized recharges, ensuring transparency and accountability in the process.”
Furthermore, she said the guideline “directs that unclaimed recharges cannot be monetized but must be made available through service options to the affected subscribers, including voice offerings, data plans, and value-added services on the primary network.”
The NCC has also set strict timelines for implementation. Telecom operators are expected to fully comply within 90 days of the policy’s issuance, including mandatory consumer education and notification campaigns.
