Nigeria, April 3 -- The telecommunications firm, MTN, has announced alternative channels for consumers to buy airtime for the phones, after commercial banks disallowed MTN subscribers to use their channels.

Banks removed the telecom firm from their platforms on Friday, following a feud over the sharing of fees by both sides.

The disagreement began after MTN reduced the percentage it remits to the banks for each amount of airtime from 4.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent.

Sources within the company defended the move, citing applicable charges elsewhere, while banks said MTN was already paying lower than other telcos.

The Nigerian government said it intervened in a late Friday and that talks to resolve the row "reached an advanced stage" for th...