Airtel Nigeria has announced the temporary suspension of its airtime and data credit services, becoming the second major telecom operator in the country to halt such offerings following new regulatory requirements for digital lending.
The company disclosed this in a statement signed by its Director of Corporate Communications and CSR, Femi Adeniran, issued on Friday, noting that the affected services previously allowed eligible prepaid subscribers to borrow airtime or data and repay on their next recharge.
The suspension comes a day after MTN Nigeria Communications Plc announced a similar move, citing the implementation of processes required under the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025.
The new regulations introduced a compliance and licensing framework for companies providing digital or alternative consumer credit services in Nigeria, a category under which airtime and data advance products may now fall.
What Airtel is saying
Airtel, in its statement, said customers will continue to enjoy uninterrupted access to airtime and data purchases through its existing channels despite the temporary suspension.
The company also stated that the development is not expected to materially affect service standards across the country.
Commenting on the decision, Airtel Nigeria Director of Marketing, Ismail Adeshina, said the move was aimed at ensuring regulatory compliance.
- “This is a necessary and responsible step as we align our operations with evolving requirements. Airtel Nigeria remains committed to the highest standards of compliance, transparency, and consumer protection, while continuing to innovate responsibly within Nigeria’s digital ecosystem,” he said.
Get up to speed
Earlier, MTN Nigeria said it had temporarily suspended its Xtratime service, which enables eligible subscribers to borrow airtime or data for later repayment.
MTN told investors the suspension was not expected to have a material impact on earnings due to the relatively small contribution of the service within its revenue mix, adding that it would provide an update on any quantified impact in its first quarter 2026 results.
The parallel actions by Airtel and MTN indicate a broader industry response to the new lending regulations, which are expected to tighten oversight of digital credit products and strengthen consumer protection standards.
Backstory
Building on its Limited Interim Regulatory/Registration Framework and Guidelines for Digital Lending, 2022, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) last year introduced the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025.
Under the guidelines, all digital lenders in the country are expected to register with the FCCPC.
This also includes airtime or data lenders, which brings MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile under a new set of regulations.
Operators provisionally designated as eligible under transitional arrangements were recently given a new deadline of April 2026 to complete their registration under the DEON Regulations.
- “This window is provided to enable affected operators to take steps towards compliance. Operators that choose not to regularise their status within this period may be subject to further regulatory measures, as provided under the law,” FCCPC CEO, Mr. Tunji Mr. Bello had said.
The suspension of the services by telecom operators comes as a way of avoiding regulatory sanctions while they take their time to comply with the new rules.
What you should know
The FCCPC had earlier fixed October 31, 2025, as the deadline for all digital lenders in the country to get registered or face a fine of N100 million.
Nairametrics reported that the race to beat the deadline had led to a surge in the number of registered digital lenders in the country, with the number jumping to 492 in October.
However, the Commission later announced the extension of the deadline to January 5, 2026, to allow full compliance.
