TheCable

MTN subscribers are having difficulty recharging their lines through mobile banking applications and the unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) channel.

Customers of the telecommunications operator took to social media on Friday to lament.

In a message sent to its customers, MTN asked users to recharge their lines through physical cards.

“Dear Customer, our bank recharge channels are currently unavailable. Kindly recharge using physical cards. We apologise for the inconvenience. Thank you,” the message reads.

Efforts to reach Funso Aina, MTN Nigeria’s senior manager for external relations, proved abortive as he did not respond to calls or reply to a text message sent by TheCable.

Meanwhile, a message posted on the MTN Nigeria Support handle on Twitter states that the development is a “technical glitch” that is being worked on.

Below are reactions from Twitter users on the development.

Yello. We apologize for the inconvenience experienced. We are currently experiencing a technical glitch and all hands are on deck to resolve it. This issue will be sorted in a short while. Kindly bear with us. ~OW

— MTN Nigeria Support (@MTN180) April 2, 2021

I have submitted my NIN two days after the submission began and you still disconnected my SIM. You confirmed the receipt of the NIN and said verification is ongoing. Why did you disconnect my cell line?

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— Yusuf Dansarki (@Dansarki_ne) April 2, 2021

Make mtn they force us use physical card? When last have I seen that 😑😑 @MTNNG

— FRANK LEWIS OLALEKAN 🇳🇬🇬🇧 (@yung_fuhrer) April 2, 2021

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@MTNNG @MTN180 what's papping? You'r not available for airtime top up on all platform.

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— HIGH PRIEST (@DEEJAYJONPUFF) April 2, 2021

@MTNNG what is actually going on ????

— lolayomi (@oyinlolaajokee) April 2, 2021

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I am so sorry about the delayed response and recharge experience. We are currently experiencing a technical glitch and all hands are on deck to resolve it. Kindly bear with us. Alternatively, you may purchase a logical recharge voucher1

— MTN Nigeria Support (@MTN180) April 2, 2021

MTN Recharge portal not available on all bank platforms.

— Opeyemi smallz (@GovOtunbaSmallz) April 2, 2021

@MTNNG We can't recharge MTN lines again from @accessbank_help mobile app. What happened pls…

— Onuja Kevin nnaemeka (@kevin_onuja) April 2, 2021

Is @UBAGroup having issues with @MTNNG ?

— Yinka.Akib (@POSHMAMA1) April 2, 2021

Hello Efe, I am sorry to read about the inability to recharge. We are aware that our customers are currently unable to recharge electronically. They are also unable to use their banks(Including MOD & MyMTN App) to purchase airtime and data. This is currently being … 1/2. ^SL

— MTN Nigeria Support (@MTN180) April 2, 2021

TheCable could not confirm if the development is connected to the N42 billion debt owed by financial service providers.

Telcos had announced their plan to suspend USSD services over the debt, however, the move was hindered following an intervention by Isa Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy.

In a meeting headed by Pantami, mobile network operators (MNOs) and deposit money banks (DMBs) agreed to reduce the charge on customers using USSD to N6.98 for each transaction.