Court Upholds FCCPC Regulation, Resumes Airtime Lending

On Monday, the Federal High Court in Lagos delivered a judgment affirming the validity of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission's (FCCPC) regulation on digital lending, specifically affecting airtime lending services provided by telecom operators including MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, and Globacom. The court dismissed a suit filed by the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN), which sought to challenge the FCCPC's authority to regulate digital consumer lending.

Justice L. Allagoa ruled that the FCCPC's regulations, established under its statutory powers, are valid and should be enforced.

Following this ruling, the FCCPC announced the resumption of full enforcement of the regulations, which had previously been suspended due to an interim court order issued in April 2026. The decision is expected to affect around 40 million Nigerians who rely on airtime lending services, valued at approximately 300 to 400 billion Naira annually, particularly impacting low-income earners and small business owners.