Court orders MTN, Airtel to restore ‘airtime credit’ services

A Federal High Court has ordered MTN Nigeria and Airtel Networks Limited to restore airtime and data credit services, raising expectations that millions of subscribers will soon regain access to the offerings.

The development follows two separate rulings that challenged the basis for the suspension of the services earlier in April.

The affected services, including MTN Nigeria’s XtraTime and Airtel’s data credit offerings, were halted mid-April following compliance concerns tied to new digital lending regulations introduced by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

The disruption left millions of prepaid users without access to emergency airtime borrowing, widely used by low-income earners, traders, and small business operators.

In a ruling delivered on April 15, the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, presided over by Justice A. Lewis-Allagoa, granted an interim injunction restraining the FCCPC from enforcing key provisions of its Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations 2025 against members of the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN).

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The court barred the commission from imposing sanctions, issuing further directives, or taking actions that could prevent service providers from operating within the existing telecom framework.

Days later, the Federal High Court in Abuja issued another order in a suit involving Nairtime Holdings Limited and Nairtime Nigeria Limited.

The court restrained MTN Nigeria and Airtel Networks Limited from suspending or restricting the companies’ access to telecom infrastructure, including short codes, USSD channels, SMS systems, and billing platforms, on the basis of the FCCPC regulations.

It also ruled that telecom operators could not ignore contractual notice periods or dispute resolution procedures in an attempt to comply with new regulatory directives.

The rulings have weakened the legal grounds cited by telecom operators for suspending airtime and data credit services, increasing the likelihood of their return.

At the centre of the dispute is a jurisdictional disagreement between regulators.

The FCCPC had, in July 2025, extended its oversight to cover digital lending services, bringing airtime and data credit products under a licensing framework aimed at addressing exploitative loan applications.

However, industry stakeholders, including WASPAN, argue that the services fall under the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), as they are delivered through telecom infrastructure governed by the Nigerian Communications Act of 2003.

Amid the uncertainty and risk of sanctions, MTN and Airtel suspended the services pending clarification, a move that drew reactions from users.

While the FCCPC said it did not direct the suspension and described it as a business decision by the telecom operators, industry players have disagreed, accusing the commission of overstepping its role.

WASPAN has called on the FCCPC to comply with the court orders, stop public commentary that could affect the case, and begin discussions with the NCC and other stakeholders.

Industry analysts estimate that airtime lending transactions in Nigeria are worth between N500 billion and N1.2 trillion annually, highlighting their role in supporting economic activity, especially in the informal sector.

Both cases have been adjourned for further hearings, with attention now on how quickly telecom operators will move to restore the services after nearly two weeks of disruption.