Airtime lending returns as FCCPC bows to court order

Telecommunications subscribers across Nigeria have regained access to emergency airtime lending services as major operators, Airtel and Glo, quietly restored the platforms following the suspension of the controversial Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending (DEON) Regulations 2025 by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

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The development comes amid mounting legal pressure on the Commission after a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos ordered a halt to the enforcement of the regulations pending the determination of a suit challenging its powers over telecom-based airtime advances.

Confirming the restoration of the services, Chairman of the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN), Ayo Stuffman, disclosed on Monday that the platforms had resumed operations on both networks.

“As we speak, the services in question are already active on Airtel and Glo,” he said. The return of the services has brought relief to millions of subscribers who depend on emergency airtime credit for daily communication and small-scale business operations. Industry estimates put the annual airtime lending market at over ₦400 billion.

The FCCPC had earlier moved to regulate airtime lending platforms under the DEON Regulations 2025, insisting that such services fall within the scope of digital consumer credit and therefore require oversight to protect users from alleged abuses, including data privacy violations and unfair lending practices. The Commission claimed it had received more than 11,000 consumer complaints linked to digital lending operations.

However, the enforcement triggered resistance from stakeholders in the telecommunications ecosystem, particularly WASPAN and other operators, who argued that airtime advances are telecom value-added services and not conventional consumer loans.

The legal dispute escalated after Justice A. Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos, issued an order restraining the FCCPC from enforcing the framework, while Form 49 contempt proceedings were reportedly initiated against the Commission’s Executive Vice Chairman, Tunji Bello.

In a statement on Friday, FCCPC Director of Corporate Affairs Ondaje Ijagwu said the Commission suspended implementation of the regulations in compliance with the court order.

“As a law-abiding institution, the Commission, in deference and in obedience to the rule of law, hereby suspends the implementation and the enforcement of the DEON Regulations 2025,” the statement read.

Despite the temporary suspension, the FCCPC signaled plans to challenge the ruling, stating that its legal team had been instructed to contest both the court order and the competence of the suit filed against it. Industry stakeholders say the development has restored temporary calm in the telecom sector but warned that uncertainty over the regulatory framework could affect investor confidence and long-term sector stability.

Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, had earlier raised concerns over the need for clearer regulatory boundaries and predictability within the sector.

For now, subscribers can once again access emergency airtime advances, but observers say the final outcome of the court battle will determine the future regulatory control of Nigeria’s fast-growing digital credit ecosystem.