The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has proposed a 12-month grace period for subscribers to reclaim unused prepaid credits on inactive lines. This initiative aims to address long-standing concerns about unclaimed and unutilized recharge balances.
During a recent stakeholder engagement forum, Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, emphasized the need for a balanced approach between safeguarding consumer rights and ensuring industry sustainability.
The proposed guidelines allow subscribers to reclaim their unused credits within a year, provided they can verify ownership of the line.
Operators are barred from monetizing unclaimed airtime and must instead offer service-based alternatives such as data or voice bundles. The NCC has given telecommunications operators a 90-day compliance window to implement these new guidelines, with penalties for non-compliance.
