Digitnomics 
By Nonye Ngoka,
The return of airtime lending services on Airtel and Globacom networks may have restored relief for millions of Nigerians, but the legal and regulatory battle surrounding airtime credit is far from settled.
After weeks of suspension, telecom subscribers can once again access airtime borrowing services following the temporary halt in enforcement of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s (FCCPC) Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations (DEON Regulations) 2025.
The FCCPC confirmed the suspension in a public notice issued on May 22, following an interim order by the Federal High Court in Lagos restraining the Commission from implementing the regulations.
Justice A.L. Allagoa had, on April 15, granted the order after a suit filed by the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN), effectively reopening access to services such as Globacom’s “Borrow Me Credit” and other airtime advance platforms.
Checks confirm that Airtel and Globacom have restored airtime lending services, while industry stakeholders expect MTN to follow.
Chairman of WASPAN, Ayo Stuffman, said the court order had already translated into operational changes.
“As we speak, the services in question are already active on Airtel and Glo,” he said. “On MTN, we are confident of the resumption of services given the recent developments from the FCCPC.”
But beyond the return of airtime credit lies a deeper dispute that exposes growing regulatory tensions within Nigeria’s digital economy.
At the centre of the disagreement is the FCCPC’s decision to classify airtime and deferred data services as digital lending products under the DEON Regulations.
Under the framework, telecom operators offering airtime or data on deferred payment terms could be regarded as lenders and required to comply with consumer lending rules covering registration, disclosures and consumer protection obligations.
The position immediately sparked resistance from telecom operators and value-added service providers, who argue that airtime credit is fundamentally different from conventional digital loans.
WASPAN maintains that airtime lending operates as a telecom value-added service already governed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
“What WASPAN has advocated for through the courts is that the DEON Regulations shouldn’t apply to airtime credit, which can’t really be classified as a loan in the actual sense,” Stuffman said.
The disagreement triggered industry-wide disruption in April when operators including MTN, Airtel and Globacom suspended airtime credit services to avoid potential regulatory penalties.
For many Nigerians, the suspension highlighted how deeply embedded airtime lending has become within everyday communication and spending patterns.
Airtime advances have evolved beyond convenience tools into emergency communication support, particularly among low-income users navigating unstable income flows and rising living costs.
Industry observers say the dispute reflects broader regulatory overlap emerging across Nigeria’s fast-expanding digital economy, where new technology-enabled services increasingly blur traditional regulatory boundaries.
While the FCCPC designed the DEON Regulations to curb abusive practices associated with digital loan applications—including harassment, public shaming and opaque lending conditions—industry stakeholders argue that the framework’s broad interpretation of lending could create unintended consequences for telecom services.
The regulations prescribe penalties of up to N100 million or one per cent of annual turnover for non-compliance.
The NCC had earlier taken a different position.
Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, previously maintained that airtime credit falls within telecom value-added services regulated under the Nigerian Communications Act rather than consumer lending rules.
That divergence has now evolved into what industry analysts describe as a regulatory turf battle, raising wider questions about how emerging digital services should be governed.
Although subscribers can once again borrow airtime, the legal uncertainty remains unresolved.
The FCCPC has already indicated plans to challenge the court ruling.
“The Commission has also given its solicitors firm instructions to challenge the Order and the competence of the suit,” the FCCPC said.
For now, airtime credit has returned. But the larger contest over who regulates digital financial-like services in Nigeria—and where telecom innovation fits within that framework—appears only to be beginning.
