Telecommunications subscribers across Nigeria have regained access to emergency airtime lending services following the restoration of airtime credit platforms by Airtel and Glo.
The development comes after 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 disrupted the services.
It also follows a Federal High Court in Lagos order restraining the FCCPC from enforcing the regulations, pending the hearing of a suit challenging the commission’s 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 returned on both networks.
“As we speak, the services in question are already active on Airtel and Glo,” he said.
The restoration is expected to provide relief to millions of Nigerians who depend on emergency airtime credit for communication and small business activities.
Industry estimates suggest that the airtime lending sector in Nigeria is worth over ₦400 billion annually.
The FCCPC had earlier moved to bring airtime lending platforms under its DEON Regulations 2025, arguing that they fall within digital consumer credit services and require regulatory oversight to protect consumers from alleged abuses such as data privacy concerns and unfair lending practices. The commission also cited more than 11,000 consumer complaints linked to digital lending operations.
However, telecom stakeholders, including WASPAN, rejected the move, insisting that airtime advances are value-added telecom services rather than formal consumer loans.
The dispute escalated after Justice A. Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Lagos issued an order restraining the FCCPC from implementing the regulations. Reports also indicate that Form 49 contempt proceedings were initiated against the commission’s Executive Vice Chairman, Tunji Bello.
In compliance with the court order, FCCPC Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, confirmed that the commission has suspended enforcement of the 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 said.
Despite the suspension, the FCCPC stated that it will challenge the ruling, instructing its legal team to appeal both the court decision and the competence of the suit.
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