Presidency, NCC, FCCPC Under Fire as Nigeria’s Airtime Credit Crisis Leaves 40 Million Stranded

• Major telecom operators suspend airtime credit services, affecting over 40 million Nigerian subscribers
• Controversial licensing of new companies raises questions on regulatory compliance and market takeover
• Silence from key officials intensifies concern over government actions against court orders and public trust

For years, borrowing airtime in Nigeria was one of the easiest survival tools for millions of people. With a simple USSD code, subscribers could access airtime or data instantly and repay on their next recharge.

There were no forms, no bank checks, and no delays.

For over 40 million Nigerians, especially low-income earners and prepaid subscribers, airtime credit served as daily working capital—helping them make urgent calls, confirm deliveries, respond to customers, or stay connected until their next top-up.

That service has now disappeared.

In April 2026, major telecom operators, including MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, and 9mobile, suspended airtime and data credit services following an enforcement directive from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

The commission classified airtime credit as a lending product under its DEON regulations, effectively placing the service under lending compliance rules.

Court orders issued, but services remain suspended

Since the suspension, two Federal High Courts have intervened.

On April 15, a Lagos court granted an injunction restraining the FCCPC from enforcing the DEON framework. Then, on April 24, an Abuja court ordered the restoration of airtime credit services.

Despite both rulings, the services remain unavailable.

The FCCPC later attempted to overturn the Lagos injunction on April 28, but the court refused.

This has raised serious questions about regulatory compliance and whether government agencies are acting against court orders.

Even more controversial was the FCCPC’s decision on April 22—between both court rulings—to license five companies to take over the airtime credit market.

Questions over new companies licensed to replace telcos

One of the newly licensed firms, Rane Interaktive Medien CLS Limited, has drawn particular scrutiny.

A Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) search reportedly shows the company was registered on August 30, 2025, just weeks after the DEON regulations were gazetted.

Its listed business activities include software development, web design, and intranet services—not telecommunications or lending.

Observers have also questioned why the FCCPC reportedly misspelt the company’s name as “Interactive” instead of “Interaktive.”

Critics argue that Nigerians still do not know who owns the five companies, how they were selected, or what qualified them to control a market estimated at between N300 billion and N400 billion annually.

Four key officials at the centre of the crisis

Attention is now turning to four senior officials who many believe have the power to end the crisis.

FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman, Tunji Bello, is seen as central to the enforcement decision and licensing process.

Many critics argue that while his loyalty to the government is unquestioned, concerns remain about whether he has the regulatory expertise required to oversee such a major market restructuring.

At the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Executive Vice Chairman Aminu Maida has also come under pressure.

Industry stakeholders argue that the FCCPC stepped directly into NCC’s regulatory territory by reclassifying a telecom service as a financial product, yet the telecom regulator has remained largely silent.

Silence from Presidency raises bigger concerns

Minister of Communications, Bosun Tijani, is also facing criticism.

As the official overseeing Nigeria’s digital economy policy environment, many believe he has both the authority and technical understanding to resolve the issue.

His continued silence, however, has deepened concerns.

The same applies to Idris Saliu, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Technology and Digital Economy, whose office sits at the intersection of telecoms, fintech, and digital policy.

Together, analysts say the silence from these officials creates only two possible conclusions: either the government is deliberately restructuring the airtime credit market despite court rulings, or its digital economy leadership is so disconnected that one agency can disrupt millions of lives without resistance.

Political cost may grow ahead of 2027

For President Tinubu, the political risks are rising.

His administration has repeatedly promised regulatory certainty, investor confidence, and stronger rule of law under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

But the continued suspension of a service relied upon by 40 million Nigerians threatens that message.

Industry leaders have warned that the crisis is damaging investor confidence, while ordinary Nigerians increasingly associate the government with the loss of a simple service that once made daily life easier.

Every extra day of silence, critics say, makes the administration’s economic and political message harder to defend ahead of 2027.

FCCPC under fire as subscribers lament airtme lending suspension

Legit.ng earlier reported that the temporary suspension of airtime and data loan services by major telecommunications operators, including MTN and Airtel, has triggered widespread outrage among subscribers, with many describing the move as harsh, poorly timed, and damaging to their livelihoods.

Several subscribers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) who spoke on Monday accused the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) of failing to consider the daily realities of ordinary Nigerians before directing the suspension.

The affected services, commonly used by millions of subscribers to borrow airtime or data during emergencies, were halted as telecom operators moved to comply with the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025.

Source: Legit.ng