The Bank Customers Association of Nigeria has lodged a formal petition with the Central Bank of Nigeria, protesting what it described as persistent and unauthorized deductions from customers’ accounts across commercial banks.
This was disclosed by BCAN President, Dr. Uju Ogubunka, during the 2025 Artificial Intelligence Conference organized by SuperNews. The event, themed “Power of AI: Enhancing Efficiency and Customer Satisfaction for Better Financial Services Experience,” brought together industry experts to discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on Nigeria’s financial sector.
Dr. Ogubunka expressed concern over charges deducted under the USSD end-user billing model, which he argued fall outside the regulatory scope approved by the CBN. He described the deductions as excessive and increasingly burdensome to customers.
“We have formally written to the Central Bank, urging it to take immediate action to halt these excess charges. If this issue is not permanently addressed, bank customers may be compelled to seek redress through alternative channels,” he said.
He also lamented the declining quality of customer experience in the banking sector, citing a growing number of complaints filed with the CBN, mediation centers, and even the courts.
“The current level of dissatisfaction is alarming. If customers were truly satisfied, we wouldn’t be seeing this volume of petitions,” he stated.
Dr. Ogubunka added that the Nigerian banking system has yet to fully harness the potential of artificial intelligence, which he believes could help resolve many of the ongoing issues in service delivery and customer engagement.
In his keynote address, financial expert Mr. Johnson Chukwu highlighted the transformative role AI can play in banking, particularly in consumer credit assessment and complaint resolution.
“Today’s AI systems can analyze income patterns, spending behavior, and assess creditworthiness in real-time — enabling instant loan approvals and personalized services,” Chukwu explained.
He emphasized that AI empowers banks to offer tailor-made services to millions of customers simultaneously, leveraging data such as biometrics and transaction histories to improve customer satisfaction.
Chukwu also outlined the “Seven Cs” necessary for effective AI integration: Capacity, Capability, Collaboration, Creativity, Cognition, Continuity, and Control. He cautioned that financial institutions that delay AI adoption risk losing relevance in an increasingly digital financial landscape.
“Artificial intelligence will redefine the customer experience. Any institution that fails to adapt will find it difficult to survive the future,” he warned.
