Experts Urge Policy Clarity as 40 Million Nigerians Rely on Airtime Credit Services

About 40 million Nigerians depend on airtime credit services for daily connectivity, and industry stakeholders are now pressing regulators to create formal coordination protocols. The push follows months of uncertainty after the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) introduced the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-traditional Consumer Lending (DEON) Regulations, which temporarily disrupted airtime credit services before operators resumed them after regulatory and legal developments.

Regulatory Uncertainty Highlights Need for Coordination

Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, said the experience highlighted the need for better coordination among regulators. He stated that "the lesson is that Nigeria's regulatory agencies need formal coordination protocols for services at the intersection of telecommunications and financial products. The FCCPC's consumer protection mandate and the NCC's telecom regulatory mandate can coexist without either displacing the other. We are ready to participate in that conversation and urge both agencies to begin it without delay."

Adebayo described airtime credit as "economic infrastructure" used by about 40 million Nigerians, saying its temporary suspension affected far more than the telecommunications industry.

Market Valued at ₦300–400 Billion Annually

Industry estimates value Nigeria's airtime credit market at between ₦300 billion and ₦400 billion annually, reflecting the growing demand for digital financial services that provide small-value credit quickly through mobile phones. Although subscribers access the service through their mobile network operators, the technology that enables real-time eligibility checks, automated credit decisions and repayments is provided by specialist financial technology companies.

Among them is Nairtime Nigeria Limited, the Nigerian operation of Optasia, which has operated in Nigeria since 2012. The company provides the technology behind Airtime Credit Services offered by mobile network operators and also supports other digital financial solutions using automated credit assessment and repayment systems.

Chief Executive Officer of Nairtime Nigeria and Optasia Chief Commercial Officer, Uchenna Agbo, said the restoration of Airtime Credit Services highlighted their importance to consumers. Agbo highlighted: "These services provide a lifeline for millions of Nigerian consumers who rely on them for daily connectivity, and we welcome this development." She added that the company remains committed to working with regulators and industry partners to promote "a fair, transparent and inclusive digital ecosystem that benefits Nigeria and all Nigerians."

Operators Restore Services After Suspension

In a related development, MTN Nigeria reinstated its airtime and data borrowing service, giving eligible subscribers access to emergency credit again after a temporary suspension caused by a regulatory disagreement. The telecom operator said qualified customers can borrow airtime or data by dialling *303#, subject to their approved credit limits. The development followed similar moves by Airtel and Glo, which had resumed their airtime and data lending services before MTN.

As inflation continues to squeeze household budgets and more Nigerians embrace digital financial services, a stable regulatory environment will be critical to encouraging innovation while ensuring consumers continue to enjoy secure, reliable and responsible access to digital credit. For the naira and Nigerian consumers, clear rules mean fewer disruptions to a service that millions now treat as essential infrastructure.