The Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained MTN Nigeria and Airtel Networks Limited from suspending or limiting services provided to Nairtime Nigeria Limited, pending the resolution of a suit challenging regulatory actions affecting digital lending operations.
The ruling, delivered on April 24, followed an ex parte application filed by Nairtime Holdings Limited and Nairtime Nigeria Limited, who alleged that the telecom operators were planning to disrupt their business activities.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/779/2026, the plaintiffs argued that the telcos intended to interfere with their access to critical platforms such as USSD channels, SMS, short codes, and billing systems, citing directives linked to the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations 2025.
They maintained that such actions would amount to unlawful interference with their contractual rights, stressing that they operate as licensed value-added service providers under approvals granted by the Nigerian Communications Commission.
In granting the interim injunction, the court ordered the telecom firms to refrain from disrupting the company’s operations while its licence remains valid.
“An order of interim injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd defendants/respondents, whether by themselves, their officers, servants, agents, or privies from suspending, restricting, discontinuing, or otherwise interfering with the access of the 2nd plaintiff to their platforms, channels, short codes, SMS, USSD, billing services and other telecommunications-enabled services during the subsistence of the 2nd plaintiff’s valid licence issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission,” the court ordered.
The court also held that telecom operators cannot override existing contractual obligations, including notice periods and dispute resolution procedures, in an attempt to comply with new regulatory directives. It directed all parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive case.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of recent suspensions of airtime credit services, including MTN’s XtraTime and Airtel’s data credit offerings, which the operators said were in response to compliance requirements under regulations introduced by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.
The FCCPC had rolled out the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending (DEON) Regulations in July 2025, expanding oversight to include digital lending platforms such as airtime and data credit services.
However, industry stakeholders argue that the commission may have overstepped its authority, insisting that services delivered through telecom infrastructure fall under the jurisdiction of the NCC, as provided in the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.
The Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) estimates that Nigeria’s airtime lending market is valued between N300 billion and N400 billion annually.
The FCCPC has maintained that it did not order the suspension of such services, describing the actions by telecom operators as commercial decisions.
