Banks to restore MTN services as FG wades into dispute

By our reporter| The federal government on Friday waded into the trade dispute between commercial banks and mobile network operator, MTN Nigeria.

Nigeria’s minister of communications and digital economy, Isa Pantami who made the disclosure in a series of tweets on Friday night said he has engaged the warring parties.

“On the fallout between @MTNNG and some banks on USSD services today, I engaged with both regulators, the Governor of @cenbank and EVC @NgComCommission, Pantami tweeted on Friday night.

“We have reached an advance stage of resolving the issues, for the services to be restored to our citizens. Many thanks!”

Commercial banks in the country early Friday disconnected MTN customers from banking channels including the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data and banking apps over dispute on the N42bn debt owed mobile operators by banks.

The telco had also reduced the banks’ commission from an average of 3.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent which predicated the actions of the banks.

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

The banks, except Zenith Bank which was connected directly to MTN, subsequently blocked MTN from their banking channels, leaving many MTN subscribers frustrated as they were unable to recharge airtime via USSD amid the Easter celebrations.

MTN subsequently advised their customers to recharge using physical cards.