Finally, Nigerian banks unblock MTN, reconnect customers to USSD 

By SAMUEL OAMEN

Commercial banks have reconnected MTN customers to banking channels after disconnecting them from their channels, including the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) and banking apps last Friday.

The Nation learnt the development was due to intervention of Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami and Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele.

The banks blocked MTN subscribers, believed to be around 77millions accounting for about 45 per cent of the total telecommunication market share in Nigeria, with many of them stranded and unable to recharge airtime via USSD amid the Easter celebrations.

The blockade was due to reduction of banks’ commission from 4.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent by the telco.

The banks had written MTN to revert to the old commission, vowing to block MTN airtime in all their channels.

MTN had explored alternative electronic payment platforms such as Flutterwave, Jumia Pay, OPay, Kuda, Carbon and BillsnPay for customer to recharge their phones. (The Nation)