The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Friday denied cancelling or banning airtime borrowing and data advance services, instead placing the temporary suspension blame on service providers.
This was contained in a statement issued by Ondaje Ijagwu, FCCPC Director of Corporate Affairs, amid widespread reactions trailing the development online.
The response followed announcements by Airtel Nigeria and MTN Nigeria Communications Plc of the temporary suspension of their airtime and data credit services, citing new regulatory requirements for digital lending.
What the FCCPC is saying
According to the Commission, operators are expected to structure their commercial relationships in a manner consistent with Nigerian law.
The Commission explained that at the commencement of the regulatory framework in July 2025, affected operators were granted an initial 90-day compliance period to regularise their products, structures, and operations.
However, the Commission noted that this opportunity was not utilised within the prescribed timeframe, particularly in the telecom sector.
It added that, notwithstanding clear regulatory requirements and a grace period, some operators allegedly chose to maintain the status quo by failing to register and regularise their services.
- “In doing so, they continued operating monopolistic models that had long generated consumer complaints, including concerns relating to transparency, deductions, charges, and accountability,” the statement partly read.
- The Commission maintained that “any temporary suspension, restriction, or operational change introduced by service providers should therefore be understood as a business or compliance decision by those operators, not a ban imposed by the FCCPC.”
It added that it is inaccurate to attribute avoidable disruption to regulation where regulated entities had adequate notice and sufficient opportunity to comply.
The Commission further alleged that some vested interests and their foreign collaborators are opposed to the creation of safe markets and fair competition, and are therefore resorting to a campaign of disinformation.
The FCCPC stated that it will continue to protect consumers, promote fair competition, encourage responsible innovation, ensure transparent digital financial practices, and work constructively with sector regulators and service providers in the public interest.
Backstory
MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, like Airtel, had announced a similar temporary 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.
Building on its Limited Interim Regulatory/Registration Framework and Guidelines forX Digital Lending, 2022, the 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 required to register with the FCCPC.
This includes airtime or data lenders, thereby bringing 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 Bello, had said.
The suspension of these services by telecom operators is aimed at avoiding regulatory sanctions while they work towards compliance 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 register or face a fine of N100 million.
Nairametrics reported that the race to meet the deadline led to a surge in the number of registered digital lenders, with the figure rising to 492 in October.
However, the Commission later extended the deadline to January 5, 2026, to allow for full compliance.
