Airtime Lending Returns as FCCPC Suspends Enforcement Following Court Order
Airtel and Glo restore emergency airtime services after regulatory framework faces legal challenge
Telecommunications subscribers across Nigeria can once again access emergency airtime lending services after Airtel and Glo restored the platforms following the suspension of the FCCPC’s Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations 2025.
Emergency airtime lending services have returned for telecommunications subscribers in Nigeria after major operators restored access following a court-backed suspension of new regulatory measures.
The restoration comes after the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) suspended enforcement of its Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending (DEON) Regulations 2025 pending the outcome of ongoing legal proceedings.
Confirming the development, Chairman of the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN), Ayo Stuffman, stated that airtime lending platforms had resumed operations on Airtel and Glo networks.
The return of the services is expected to provide relief to millions of subscribers who rely on emergency airtime advances for communication and day-to-day transactions.
Industry estimates place Nigeria’s airtime lending market at more than ₦400 billion annually.
The FCCPC had introduced the DEON Regulations to bring airtime lending and similar platforms under consumer credit oversight, arguing that stronger regulation was necessary to address concerns around user protection, privacy issues, and lending practices.
According to the Commission, thousands of complaints had been received relating to digital lending operations.
However, stakeholders within the telecommunications industry opposed the move, arguing that airtime advances should be treated as telecom value-added services rather than conventional consumer lending products.
The dispute intensified after a Federal High Court in Lagos reportedly ordered a temporary halt to the enforcement of the regulations while the legal challenge proceeds.
Following the ruling, the FCCPC announced that it would suspend implementation of the framework in compliance with the court’s directive.
Despite complying with the order, the Commission indicated that it intends to challenge both the ruling and the legal arguments presented against its authority.
Industry stakeholders welcomed the temporary return of the service but cautioned that unresolved regulatory uncertainty could affect investor confidence and future growth in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
For now, subscribers can again access emergency airtime advances while awaiting the final legal outcome that may determine the future regulation of digital credit services in the telecom industry.
