Barely a few days after directing Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to suspend all upfront airtime and data lending services to telecoms subscribers in the country, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has licensed five new firms to operate services in the country.
The latest action of the commission is in furtherance of its enforcement of its Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025 (DEON), which aims to formalize airtime lending as consumer credit.
The FCCPC in a statement listed the newly approved firms as including Total Tim Nigeria Ltd., Rane Interactive Medien CLS Ltd., Mode NG Applications Ltd., Cloud Interactive Associate Ltd., and Coverage Broadband Ltd based on their meeting the DEON 2025 requirements.
It explained that the regulations were issued to ensure fairness, transparency, and improved consumer protection within Nigeria’s digital lending ecosystem
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Comenting on the latest regulatory measure of the commission, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Ondaje Ijagwu, alleged that some telecom operators had engaged in exclusionary arrangements in violation of existing laws.
According to him, the move by the FCCPC was introduced to open up the market to both local and international participants in line with free market principles.
Ijagwu recalled that the MNOs were initially given a 90-day compliance window from July 2025, which was later extended to Jan. 5, 2026, but that they did not complete the required adjustments during the stipulated timeline.
Meanwhile, most telecoms subscribers have expressed their annoyance over the suspension of the services, particularly those who rely on airtime borrowing during emergencies, saying that the FCCPC should have created awareness about the new measure in order to enable them enjoy undisrupted airtime and data lending services.
