92 Million MTN Subscribers Still Cut Off From Airtime Credit Services as Rivals Resume
By Aboki Forex —
More than six weeks after a regulatory crackdown disrupted airtime credit services, over 92 million MTN subscribers remain unable to access XtraTime and XtraData. Rival operators Airtel and Globacom have quietly restored their services, but MTN has not given any timeline for a return.
FCCPC crackdown leaves millions stranded
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) triggered the disruption when it enforced its Digital Economy and Online Lending (DEON) Regulations. The agency argued that airtime credit services should be treated like digital loan platforms. Critics say the comparison is wrong.
Unlike loan apps, telecom credit services do not charge interest, use debt collectors, or harass customers. Industry stakeholders took the FCCPC to court. In April, the Federal High Court in Lagos granted interim injunctions stopping the enforcement. The FCCPC tried to overturn the injunctions but failed. By May 22, the commission suspended enforcement after the court ruling.
Real impact on daily life
For many Nigerians, borrowed airtime and data are not luxuries. They are survival tools. Chukwuemeka Obi, a motorcycle taxi rider in Enugu, said the suspension has cost him money. “Before this started, if my airtime finished and a customer needed to reach me, I just borrowed. Now I have to go and buy card. Sometimes there is no time, sometimes there is no money. I have lost jobs because of this.”
In Kaduna, secondary school teacher Fatima Yusuf said she missed important school updates because she could not borrow data. “When my data finishes and I cannot borrow, I miss announcements. I even missed a staff meeting because of this. Nobody is talking about us.”
Legal battle continues
The Wireless Application Service Providers’ Association of Nigeria (WASPAN) challenged the FCCPC on behalf of its NCC-licensed members. Contempt proceedings have been initiated against the commission’s executive vice chairman. Further court proceedings are scheduled for July 20.
Adaeze Nnaji, a petty trader in Aba, summed up the frustration. “I don’t know FCCPC. I don’t know what they do. I only know that before, I could borrow airtime and call my supplier. Now I cannot. Who is protecting me?”
FCCPC denies restructuring reports
Earlier, the FCCPC distanced itself from reports that President Bola Tinubu approved a major restructuring of Nigeria’s airtime credit market and licensed nine fintech companies. In a statement on June 6, 2026, the commission described the reports as inaccurate and said it neither submitted proposals to the Presidency nor participated in any process to open the market to new operators.
For now, millions of Nigerians are still waiting for answers and the restoration of a service they once relied on to stay connected.