The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has explained the reasons behind its suspension of the implementation and enforcement of the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations 2025 (DEON Regulations), following regulatory and legal developments that have reshaped the airtime lending landscape in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
The Commission said the decision was taken in compliance with a Federal High Court order in Lagos that restrained the enforcement of the regulations, describing the move as a necessary step in obedience to the rule of law.
FCCPC, in a statement signed by its Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, said it had been served with an ex-parte order of the court suspending enforcement of the framework.
“The Commission has since been served with an Ex-parte order of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos… restraining/suspending the implementation of the regulations,” the statement read.
“As a law-abiding institution, the Commission, in deference and in obedience to the rule of law, hereby suspends the implementation and the enforcement of the DEON Regulations 2025,” it added.
The DEON Regulations had been introduced to classify airtime and data credit services as consumer lending products, bringing them under a regulatory framework originally designed for digital lending applications.
The policy immediately triggered disagreement within the telecom sector and led to a jurisdictional dispute with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which maintains regulatory oversight of telecommunications services under the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.
The matter escalated to the courts after the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN) filed Suit No. FHC/L/CS/760/2026 challenging the regulations.
The FCCPC, however, stated that it would continue to contest both the court order and the competence of the suit.
“The Commission has also given its solicitors firm instructions to challenge the Order and the competence of the suit,” the statement added.
The suspension of enforcement comes after weeks of disruption in the telecom sector, which saw MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, and T2Mobile suspend airtime and data credit services in April following regulatory uncertainty.
The move affected an estimated 40 million active users who rely on airtime and data advances for daily communication, particularly prepaid and low-income subscribers.