Airtime lending returns as FCCPC bows to court order
Telecommunications subscribers across Nigeria have regained access to emergency airtime lending services as major operators, Airtel and Glo, quietly restored the platforms following the suspension of the controversial Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending (DEON) Regulations 2025 by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
The development comes amid mounting legal pressure on the Commission after a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos ordered a halt to the enforcement of the regulations pending the determination of a suit challenging its powers over telecom-based airtime advances.
Confirming the restoration of the services, Chairman of the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN), Ayo Stuffman, disclosed on Monday that the platforms had resumed operations on both networks.
“As we speak, the services in question are already active on Airtel and Glo,” he said. The return of the services has brought relief to millions of subscribers who depend on emergency airtime credit for daily communication and small-scale business operations. Industry estimates put the annual airtime lending market at over ₦400 billion.
The FCCPC had earlier moved to regulate airtime lending platforms under the DEON Regulations 2025, insisting that such services fall within the scope of digital consumer credit and therefore require oversight to protect users from alleged abuses, including data privacy violations and unfair lending practices. The Commission claimed it had received more than 11,000 consumer complaints linked to digital lending operations.
