USSD Disconnection: Pantami, Others Meet Banks, Telcos Today
TECH DIGEST – The minister of communications, Isa Pantami, Godwin Emefiele, the CBN governor, and the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Communications Commission, Umar Danbatta, will today Monday, March 15, meet banks and telecoms operators over the threat by telcos to disconnect Unstructured Supplementary Service Data to banks.
TechDigest.ng gathered that the federal government had directed Mobile Network Operators to put a hold on their plan to suspend USSD services to banks.
The order was contained in a statement issued by Pantami and titled ‘Impending suspension of USSD banking services put on hold’.
Read Also:
The statement was signed by the Technical Assistant (Information Technology) to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Femi Adeluyi, on Saturday.
Recall that the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria had announced that telcos would disconnect banks from USSD services on Monday due to their over N42bn debt.
Before any action could take place, Pantami, however, called for a meeting on Monday with all stakeholders including the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, as well as the MNOs and financial institutions.
Adeluyi explained that the purpose of the meeting was to ensure an amicable resolution of the impasse.
According to him, “The outcome of the meeting will determine the next steps regarding the status of USSD financial services.”
He added that the minister had sent a letter with respect of the issues to the CBN governor on March 3 on the need for the banks to do the needful.
