The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Friday, April 17, 2026, rejected claims that it ordered a ban on airtime borrowing and data advance services, insisting instead that telecom operators are responsible for recent service disruptions affecting millions of subscribers nationwide.
The commission said the reports circulating in the media and on social platforms were misleading, stressing that no directive was issued to suspend or terminate airtime credit services in Nigeria.
The clarification comes after major telecom operators, including MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria, temporarily suspended their airtime and data advance offerings, triggering confusion among users who depend on the services for emergency connectivity.
According to the FCCPC, the disruptions stem from operators’ failure to fully comply with its Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations introduced in July 2025.
The framework was designed to address rising complaints around opaque charges, poor disclosure of terms, unexplained deductions, and aggressive recovery practices in digital credit services.
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The commission explained that affected operators were given a 90-day compliance window beginning in July 2025, which was later extended to January 5, 2026, to allow adequate time for registration and alignment with the new rules. It said compliance gaps persisted despite the extensions.
FCCPC maintained that any suspension or restriction of airtime borrowing services should be understood as a business or compliance decision by operators, not a regulatory ban.
“It is inaccurate to attribute avoidable disruption to regulation where regulated entities had adequate notice and sufficient opportunity to comply,” the commission said.
Telecom operators had earlier cited ongoing regulatory approval and licensing processes under the new framework as the reason for suspending the services, a position that aligns with the FCCPC’s assertion that the interruptions are compliance-driven rather than imposed prohibitions.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to consumer protection and fair competition, urging the public to disregard claims that it has banned airtime borrowing or data advance services.
For millions of subscribers, however, the suspension means continued uncertainty over when the widely used credit services will be fully restored under the new regulatory regime.