Telecommunications subscribers across Nigeria have regained access to emergency airtime lending services as major operators, Airtel Nigeria and Globacom, restored the platforms following the suspension of the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending (DEON) Regulations 2025 by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.
USSD
The restoration followed a Federal High Court order restraining the commission from enforcing the regulations pending the determination of a suit challenging its authority over telecom-based airtime lending services.
Confirming the development on Monday, Chairman of the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN), Ayo Stuffman, said the services had resumed on both networks.
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“As we speak, the services in question are already active on Airtel and Glo,” he said.
The return of the services is expected to provide relief to millions of subscribers who rely on emergency airtime advances for communication and small-scale business activities.
Industry estimates place the annual airtime lending market at more than N400 billion.
The FCCPC had earlier introduced the DEON Regulations 2025 to regulate airtime lending platforms, arguing that the services fall within the scope of digital consumer credit.
The commission said the move was aimed at protecting users against alleged abuses, including unfair lending practices and data privacy violations.
According to the FCCPC, it had received over 11,000 consumer complaints relating to digital lending operations.
However, stakeholders in the telecommunications sector opposed the regulations, maintaining that airtime advances are telecom value-added services and not conventional consumer loans.
The dispute intensified after Justice A. Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Lagos issued an order stopping the enforcement of the framework.
Reports also indicated that contempt proceedings were initiated against the Executive Vice Chairman of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello.
In a statement issued on Friday, FCCPC Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, said the commission suspended implementation of the regulations in obedience to the court order.
“As a law-abiding institution, the commission, in deference and in obedience to the rule of law, hereby suspends the implementation and enforcement of the DEON Regulations 2025,” the statement said.
Despite the suspension, the commission indicated plans to challenge the ruling, stating that its legal team had been directed to contest both the court order and the competence of the suit.
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Industry stakeholders said the development had restored temporary stability within the telecom sector but warned that uncertainty surrounding the regulatory framework could affect investor confidence and long-term sector growth.
Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, had earlier called for clearer regulatory boundaries and greater policy predictability within the industry.
Observers say the outcome of the court case will shape the future regulation of Nigeria’s growing digital credit and airtime lending ecosystem.
