Telecommunications giant, MTN Nigeria, has attributed the suspension of its airtime and data borrowing services to new regulatory requirements introduced by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, (FCCPC).
The company’s Secretary, Uto Ukpanah, disclosed this on Thursday at the Nigerian Exchange Limited, explaining that the decision followed the implementation of new compliance rules under the Digital, Electronic, Online, or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025.
According to the company, the regulations introduce a revised licensing and compliance framework for entities offering digital or non-traditional consumer credit services, including airtime lending.
“This relates to the implementation of processes under the Digital, Electronic, Online, or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025, which introduced a new compliance and licensing framework for entities providing digital or non-traditional consumer credit services,” the company said.
Despite the suspension, MTN assured customers that alternative channels for purchasing airtime and data remain available and unaffected.
It also noted that the temporary halt is not expected to have a significant impact on its overall revenue structure. “Given the scale within the revenue mix, we do not expect the temporary suspension to have a material impact,” the company added.
The development follows the rollout of the FCCPC’s Digital, Electronic, Online, or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025, which builds on earlier interim frameworks introduced in 2022 to regulate digital lending in Nigeria.
Under the new rules, all digital lenders operating in the country are required to register with the commission, a requirement that now extends to airtime credit services, effectively placing telecom operators such as MTN Nigeria under stricter regulatory oversight.
