A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has stepped in to prevent telecom operators from cutting off access to airtime and data credit platforms amid an ongoing legal dispute over Nigeria’s updated lending regulations.
The ruling, delivered on April 24, 2026, followed a suit filed by Nairtime Holdings Limited and Nairtime Nigeria Limited against major telecom providers, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and Airtel Networks Limited.
The lending firms challenged plans by the telecom companies to block their access to key service channels such as USSD codes, SMS gateways, short codes, and billing infrastructure.
According to the plaintiffs, such restrictions would severely disrupt their operations and breach existing contractual agreements.
They maintained that their services are backed by valid licences issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission and insisted they had not received any formal notice of violations.
The Court Decides
After considering the application, the court directed the telecom operators to maintain the status quo.
It ordered that no action should be taken to suspend or interfere with the lending firms’ access to essential platforms until the case is fully determined.
The judge emphasised that parties must adhere to agreed contractual procedures, including proper notification and dispute resolution mechanisms, rather than taking unilateral action based on new policy changes.
At the heart of the dispute are the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations introduced in 2025.
The regulations expanded oversight of digital lending services, including airtime and data credit offerings. Telecom operators had earlier responded by suspending some of these services in April, triggering widespread concern among users.
What This Means For Nigerians
This development follows a similar ruling by a Federal High Court in Lagos on April 15, 2026.
In that case, the court restrained the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission from enforcing certain aspects of the same regulations against members of the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria.
The Lagos court also barred any enforcement actions or penalties that could disrupt service providers, pending the outcome of the case.
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The suspension of airtime and data credit services—such as MTN’s XtraTime and Airtel’s borrowing options—has already had a noticeable impact on prepaid subscribers nationwide.
For many Nigerians, these services serve as a critical backup, helping them stay connected during moments of low or exhausted balance.
