Airtel and Globacom have resumed airtime lending services in Nigeria after the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) suspended enforcement of its controversial digital lending regulations, following an interim court order.
The FCCPC announced in a public notice last Friday, that it had halted enforcement of its Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations (DEON Regulations) 2025, after Justice A.L. Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Lagos issued an interim order on April 15 restraining the commission from implementing the rules. The order followed a lawsuit filed by the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN).
The resumption of services restores access to products such as Globacom’s “Borrow Me Credit” and Airtel’s airtime advance offerings, which millions of Nigerian subscribers rely upon for emergency communication needs. Various investigations have confirmed that both Globacom and Airtel have relisted their airtime lending services on their respective platforms.
Commenting on the development, Ayo Stuffman, Chairman of WASPAN, confirmed that services were already active. He said, “As we speak, the services in question are already active on Airtel and Glo. On MTN, I can speak that we are confident of the resumption of services given the recent developments from the FCCPC.”
The dispute began when the FCCPC broadened the scope of its DEON Regulations to include telecom airtime and data credit services, classifying them as digital lending. Under the regulations, telecom operators offering deferred-payment airtime or data services would be treated as lenders and required to comply with registration, disclosure and consumer protection obligations, with penalties of up to N100 million or one per cent of annual turnover for non-compliance.
WASPAN challenged the classification in court, arguing that airtime credit operates as a telecom value-added service already governed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) framework and should not be treated as a conventional loan. “What WASPAN has advocated for through the courts is that the DEON Regulations should not apply to airtime credit, which cannot really be classified as a loan in the actual sense,” Stuffman said.
The regulatory standoff had earlier forced MTN, Airtel and Globacom to suspend their airtime credit services in April to avoid potential sanctions. The disruption effectively froze a market estimated to process hundreds of billions of naira annually, leaving millions of low-income users without access to small airtime advances they depend on for everyday communication.
The DEON Regulations were originally introduced in July 2025 to rein in predatory practices by digital loan applications, including debtor harassment, public shaming and unclear lending terms. However, the regulations adopted a broad definition of lending that extended to airtime credit, deferred-payment data bundles and buy-now-pay-later services, drawing criticism from industry stakeholders who warned of unnecessary regulatory overlap and operational disruption.
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, and not consumer lending.
Despite the temporary suspension of enforcement, the long-term regulatory outlook for airtime credit services remains uncertain. The FCCPC has indicated its intention to contest the court order. “The Commission has also given its solicitors firm instructions to challenge the Order and the competence of the suit,” the Commission stated in its notice.
For millions of Nigerians who depend on airtime advances during emergencies and cash shortages, however, the restoration of services offers immediate relief. In addition, the Staffman said, “Our members trust that the rule of law supersedes at the end of the day, a despite the revenue loss over six weeks.”
