Nowadays, everyone over the age of seven (7) has a mobile phone, which implies that about 95% of Nigerians use the MTN, Airtel, GLO, or 9Mobile networks, all of which use distinct Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) for their respective services.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is the National body that regulates Nigeria’s telecommunications industry The NCC, is responsible for regulating and enabling an environment for competition among operators in the telecommunications industry as well as ensuring the provision of qualitative and efficient telecommunications services throughout the country, has come up with a new regulation to unify the USSD code of all telecommunication operators, i.e., for all mobile network providers to use one USSD code in Nigeria, which was implemented on May 18, 2023.
In perspective, the unified USSD becomes the only way to recharge (purchase airtime), borrow either airtime or data and check mobile networks. In March 2023, the commission informed all concerned parties to migrate and fully implement the unified USSD codes by May 17, 2023.
It is because once the Harmonized Short Codes (HSC) for all mobile networks kick-off, that will be the only way to recharge or check the balance on all mobile networks.
Telecommunications operators have adopted the NCC’s approval of unified Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) for all mobile networks in the country.
This is because the Unified USSD code will enable recharge and balance checking on all mobile networks.
For instance, as an MTN subscriber, you can no longer recharge your line using the regular MTN codes *555# and *556#. The same is the case for Glo, Airtel, and 9Mobile.
Furthermore, it also means that any mobile network provider, be it MTN, Glo, Airtel, 9Mobile, or any other, that fails to migrate will be unable to serve its customers.
It also means that all mobile network services will use the same customer care number, the same code for checking data balances, and the same code for credit recharge.
What is The newly approved unified USSD Code?
Below is a list of the Unified USSD codes for all mobile networks in Nigeria:
To call customer service for MTN, Airtel, GLO, and 9Mobile, dial 300 and follow the instructions as usual.
For borrowing services for all networks, dial *303#.
To stop the service, you can migrate to any mobile network by dialing *305#.
To check the balance for all mobile networks in Nigeria, dial *310#.
For credit recharge on all mobile networks, dial *311#.
Data plans are not left out; dial *312# for all mobile networks and follow the instructions.
Also, to check your data plan balance, dial *323#.
Share your credit or data with your loved ones on all mobile networks by dialing *321#.
HOW TO LINK YOUR NIN TO YOUR MOBILE LINE
Important Notice
Some USSD codes are still the same, and they are:
- NIN verification and SIM linking code: *996#
- Porting Services Code: 3232
- DND is still 2442.
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