Published by Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Major telecommunications operators have restored emergency airtime lending services across Nigeria after the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) suspended enforcement of its controversial Digital, Electronic, Online or Non‑Traditional (DEON) Consumer Lending Regulations 2025, bowing to mounting legal pressure and a Federal High Court order. The development has brought relief to millions of subscribers who rely on services such as Globacom’s “Borrow Me Credit” and Airtel’s airtime advances for daily communication and small-scale business operations. The annual airtime lending market is estimated at over ₦400 billion.
The suspension followed an interim order issued by Justice A.L. Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Lagos on April 15, 2026, restraining the FCCPC, its officers, employees and agents from enforcing the DEON Regulations against members of the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN) pending the determination of a substantive suit. The court also issued a Form 45 Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to Order of Court against FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman Tunji Bello, warning of possible imprisonment if the commission failed to comply with the April 15 directive. Form 49 contempt proceedings were subsequently initiated against the commission. WASPAN’s chairman, Ayo Stuffman, confirmed the restoration of services on Monday, May 25, stating that airtime credit platforms were once again active on Airtel and Glo. MTN was expected to follow suit shortly.
The legal dispute began after the FCCPC introduced the DEON Regulations via Government Notice No. 3 on July 24, 2025, to regulate unsecured digital lending, including airtime and data credit services. The commission argued that airtime advances fall within the scope of digital consumer credit and require oversight to protect users from data privacy violations, unfair lending practices and abusive debt recovery. It claimed to have received more than 11,000 consumer complaints linked to digital lending operations. However, the regulations adopted a broad definition of lending that extended to airtime credit, deferred‑payment data bundles and buy‑now‑pay‑later services.
WASPAN challenged the commission’s authority in court, arguing that airtime credit is a telecom value‑added service already governed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and should not be treated as a conventional consumer loan. The association further contended that the DEON Regulations exceeded the FCCPC’s statutory mandate and encroached on the NCC’s jurisdiction. The NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Aminu Maida, had also maintained at a press briefing in April that airtime credit falls under telecom value‑added services governed by the Communications Act.
When the initial court order and subsequent contempt threats failed to produce immediate compliance, the FCCPC held its ground, triggering a nationwide freeze that persisted for several weeks. However, facing the prospect of contempt sanctions, the commission issued a statement on Friday, May 22, through its Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, announcing the suspension of the DEON Regulations. “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 suspension, the FCCPC signalled that it would continue to contest the ruling. Its legal team has been instructed to challenge both the court order and the competence of the suit filed against it. Industry stakeholders have welcomed the temporary calm but warn that continued regulatory uncertainty could affect investor confidence and long‑term sector stability. The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has called for clearer regulatory boundaries and greater predictability within the sector. For now, subscribers can once again access emergency airtime advances, while the outcome of the ongoing court proceedings will determine the future regulatory control of Nigeria’s fast‑growing digital credit ecosystem.
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