Telecommunications subscribers across Nigeria have regained access to emergency airtime lending services as Airtel and Glo have officially restored their airtime credit platforms.
The development follows the suspension of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s (FCCPC) Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations 2025, which had earlier affected the operations of the services.
The restoration also comes after a Federal High Court in Lagos issued an order restraining the FCCPC from enforcing the regulations pending the determination of a suit challenging its authority over telecom-based airtime advances.
Confirming the development on Monday, the Chairman of the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN), Ayo Stuffman, said the services had resumed on both networks.
“As we speak, the services in question are already active on Airtel and Glo,” he stated.
The return of the airtime lending services is expected to ease communication challenges for millions of subscribers who depend on emergency credit for daily communication and small-scale business activities.
Industry estimates suggest that Nigeria’s airtime lending market is worth over ₦400 billion annually.
The FCCPC had earlier moved to regulate airtime lending platforms under the DEON Regulations 2025, arguing that such services fall under digital consumer credit and should be subject to oversight to prevent alleged abuses, including data privacy concerns and unfair lending practices. The commission also cited over 11,000 consumer complaints linked to digital lending operations.
However, stakeholders in the telecom sector, including WASPAN, opposed the move, insisting that airtime advances are value-added telecom services rather than conventional loans.
The dispute escalated after Justice A. Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Lagos restrained the FCCPC from enforcing the framework. Reports also indicated that Form 49 contempt proceedings were initiated against the commission’s Executive Vice Chairman, Tunji Bello.
In response, FCCPC Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, confirmed that the commission had 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 said.
Despite the suspension, the FCCPC maintained that it would challenge the ruling, directing its legal team to appeal both the order and the suit’s validity.
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