Millions of telecom subscribers across Nigeria can once again borrow emergency airtime after major network providers, Airtel and Glo, quietly restored their airtime lending platforms following a court-backed suspension of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s (FCCPC) controversial Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending (DEON) Regulations 2025.
The return of the services comes after mounting legal pressure on the FCCPC, with a Federal High Court in Lagos ordering the Commission to halt enforcement of the regulations pending the outcome of a lawsuit challenging its authority to regulate telecom-based airtime advances.
Confirming the development on Monday, Chairman of the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN), Ayo Stuffman, said subscribers on both networks had already regained access to the services.
“As we speak, the services in question are already active on Airtel and Glo,” he stated.
For many Nigerians, the restoration is more than just a telecom update. Emergency airtime loans have become a lifeline for millions of users, especially small business owners, traders, students and low-income earners who rely on the service to stay connected during difficult moments. Industry figures estimate the airtime lending market is worth more than ₦400 billion annually.
The FCCPC had earlier moved to bring airtime lending platforms under its DEON Regulations 2025, arguing that the services operate like digital consumer loans and should therefore be subject to stricter oversight.
According to the Commission, the regulations were designed to shield consumers from alleged abuses such as unfair lending practices, hidden charges and data privacy violations. The FCCPC also claimed it had received more than 11,000 complaints linked to digital lending operations across the country.
But critics argued that the move risked disrupting essential telecom services used daily by millions of Nigerians, triggering the legal battle that ultimately forced the temporary suspension of the regulations.
