Telecommunications giants Airtel and Globacom have resumed airtime and data credit services across their networks after a six-week suspension triggered by regulatory concerns surrounding the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s Digital Lending Regulations 2025.
The restoration, which took effect on May 25, followed the FCCPC’s decision to suspend enforcement of the controversial regulations pending legal proceedings.
The Commission, in a statement signed by its Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, said the move was made in compliance with an order of the Federal High Court. According to the FCCPC, the suspension reflects its commitment to the rule of law while its legal team challenges both the court ruling and the suit behind it.
Industry Welcomes FCCPC’s Shift
The return of the services has been welcomed across Nigeria’s telecom industry. Chairman of the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria, Ayo Stuffman, confirmed that Airtel and Globacom had fully restored the products. Similarly, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, described the FCCPC’s action as a recognition of the Nigerian Communications Commission as the primary regulator of the telecom sector.
The development effectively revives a market estimated to exceed N400 billion annually and reconnects nearly 40 million Nigerians to services many rely on for emergency communication needs. Products such as Airtel Advance and Glo Borrow Me Credit allow prepaid subscribers to access airtime or data in advance, with repayment automatically deducted during the next recharge cycle. Unlike many digital lending platforms, the services do not require paperwork, third-party debt recovery, or interest payments.
Questions Over Consumer Harm
Despite the restoration, the episode has raised fresh questions about the FCCPC’s original enforcement action and the specific consumer risks it sought to address. Between 2021 and 2023, the FCCPC received thousands of complaints linked to predatory digital loan applications, including allegations of harassment, abusive recovery tactics, and unauthorised contact harvesting. However, there has been little public evidence suggesting telecom-based airtime credit services generated similar complaints.
Analysts note that the services have now returned without significant modifications. Subscribers continue to access them through the same USSD codes and repayment structure that existed before the suspension. That reality has fueled debate over whether the enforcement issue was primarily about regulatory classification rather than immediate consumer protection concerns.
Subscribers React With Relief
Across social media platforms, many subscribers expressed relief following the restoration, with several users confirming successful access to airtime and data advances within hours of reactivation. Industry stakeholders are now urging the remaining telecom operators yet to restore similar services to move quickly, warning that millions of subscribers depend on the products for everyday connectivity.
Legit.ng earlier reported that the temporary suspension of airtime and data loan services by major telecommunications operators, including MTN and Airtel, triggered widespread outrage among subscribers, with many describing the move as harsh, poorly timed, and damaging to their livelihoods. Several subscribers in the Federal Capital Territory accused the FCCPC of failing to consider the daily realities of ordinary Nigerians before directing the suspension. The affected services, commonly used by millions of subscribers to borrow airtime or data during emergencies, were halted as telecom operators moved to comply with the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025.
