Millions of Nigerian telecom subscribers may soon regain access to airtime and data credit services following separate rulings by the Federal High Court in Abuja and Lagos that restrained enforcement actions linked to digital lending regulations.
In Abuja, the court on April 24, 2026, granted an interim injunction restraining MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and Airtel Networks Limited from suspending or restricting services provided to Nairtime Nigeria Limited pending the determination of a substantive suit.
The order followed an ex parte application filed by Nairtime Holdings Limited and Nairtime Nigeria Limited, who alleged a planned disruption of their operations through the withdrawal of access to telecom platforms such as USSD channels, SMS, short codes, and billing systems.
The plaintiffs argued that the intended action stemmed from directives associated with the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations 2025, and would amount to unlawful interference with their contractual rights. They maintained that they operate as licensed Value Added Service providers under approvals from the Nigerian Communications Commission and had not breached any agreements.
Granting the motion, the court ordered that the status quo be maintained, restraining the telecom firms from interfering with the company’s access to telecommunications infrastructure during the subsistence of its licence.
In a similar development, the Federal High Court in Lagos, on April 15, 2026, issued an interim injunction barring the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission from enforcing key provisions of the same regulations against the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria.
The Lagos court, presided over by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, restrained the commission from implementing aspects of the regulations, imposing sanctions, or taking steps that could disrupt service providers’ operations pending the hearing of an interlocutory injunction.
The rulings come after airtime credit services, including MTN’s XtraTime and Airtel’s data credit offerings, were suspended in mid-April as operators cited compliance requirements under the new regulatory framework introduced by the FCCPC.
The disruption affected millions of prepaid subscribers who depend on airtime borrowing as a form of short-term credit, with the suspension occurring without prior notice or a clear timeline for restoration.
The FCCPC had introduced the regulations in July 2025, extending a licensing regime to digital and non-traditional consumer lending, including telecom-based credit services. Despite multiple deadline extensions, enforcement actions began in April 2026, prompting operators to halt services amid uncertainty.
However, industry stakeholders argue that the commission exceeded its mandate, insisting that services delivered over telecom infrastructure fall under the regulatory authority of the Nigerian Communications Commission as provided by the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.
Analysts estimate the annual value of airtime lending transactions at between N500bn and N1.2tn, highlighting the role of such services as an informal microcredit system supporting small businesses, artisans, and low-income earners.
While the FCCPC maintains it did not ban airtime credit services, describing the suspensions as commercial decisions by operators, industry groups have urged the commission to comply with existing court orders and engage stakeholders to resolve the regulatory standoff.
Both cases have been adjourned for further hearings on interlocutory injunctions.
