Airtel, Glo restore airtime loans after six-week suspension

Airtel Africa and Globacom have restored airtime lending services in Nigeria after a six-week suspension triggered by a regulatory dispute over digital lending rules, while MTN Nigeria is yet to resume the service.

The return of airtime borrowing services follows a decision by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to suspend enforcement of its controversial Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations (DEON Regulations) 2025 after a court order halted implementation.

The suspension had disrupted services such as ‘Borrow Me Credit’ and other airtime advance platforms used by millions of Nigerians, especially low-income subscribers who rely on small airtime loans during emergencies or temporary cash shortages.

“As we speak, the services in question are already active on Airtel and Glo,” Ayo Stuffman, chairman of the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN), said on Monday.

“On MTN, I can speak that we are confident of the resumption of services given the recent developments from the FCCPC,” he added.

Checks showed that Airtel and Globacom users can once again access airtime lending services, while MTN subscribers still cannot borrow airtime as of Monday evening.

The dispute began after the FCCPC expanded the scope of its digital lending regulations to include telecom airtime and data credit services. Under the rules, telecom operators offering deferred-payment airtime or data bundles would be treated as digital lenders and required to meet stricter registration and consumer protection conditions.

The development triggered resistance from telecom operators and value-added service providers, who argued that airtime credit is not a conventional loan but a telecom service already regulated by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The industry pushback later moved to court after WASPAN filed a suit challenging the FCCPC’s authority to regulate airtime credit under lending laws.

Justice A.L. Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Lagos granted an interim order on April 15 restraining the FCCPC from enforcing the regulations pending further hearing.

Following the ruling, the FCCPC announced on May 22 that it would temporarily suspend enforcement of the regulations but said it would challenge the court order.

The six-week disruption exposed growing tensions between Nigeria’s telecom and consumer protection regulators over oversight of emerging digital services.

Industry executives said the suspension affected a market worth hundreds of billions of naira annually, with millions of subscribers unable to access small emergency airtime advances during the period.

Analysts say the dispute also highlights increasing regulatory overlap in Nigeria’s fast-growing digital economy, where telecom operators, fintech firms and regulators are competing to define the boundaries between telecom services and financial products.

The FCCPC originally introduced the DEON Regulations in 2025 to tackle abusive practices by some digital loan apps, including harassment of borrowers, hidden charges and public shaming of debtors. However, the rules were broadened to cover airtime credit and buy-now-pay-later services, creating concerns within the telecom sector.

At an industry briefing in April, Aminu Maida, NCC executive vice chairman insisted that airtime credit falls under telecom value-added services regulated by the Communications Act.

For now, the return of airtime borrowing on Airtel and Globacom networks is expected to provide relief for subscribers facing rising living costs and limited access to short-term credit.

But uncertainty remains over whether MTN will quickly restore the service and how regulators will eventually settle the dispute over control of Nigeria’s growing digital credit market.