A Federal High Court ruling has temporarily halted the suspension of airtime credit services by major telecom operators in Nigeria, impacting millions of subscribers. The court granted an interim injunction on April 24, 2026, preventing MTN Nigeria and Airtel Networks Limited from restricting access to Nairtime Nigeria Limited.
The court’s decision followed an ex parte application from Nairtime Holdings Limited and Nairtime Nigeria Limited. The plaintiffs argued that the telecom operators intended to suspend their access to telecommunications platforms based on new regulatory directives. The court emphasized that telecom operators could not disregard agreed contractual notice periods during compliance with new regulations.
Key facts:
- The injunction was granted after a legal challenge against the suspension of services.
- Airtime credit services were suspended in mid-April 2026 due to compliance obligations under new digital lending regulations.
- The Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations were introduced by the FCCPC in July 2025.
- The FCCPC stated it did not ban airtime credit services, claiming the suspensions were commercial decisions made by the telecom operators.
- The airtime lending market is estimated to be worth between N300 billion and N400 billion annually according to industry estimates.
The court’s ruling also applies to a separate case involving the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria in Lagos. This situation highlights ongoing tensions between regulatory compliance and commercial decisions in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
No timeline has been shared for further developments regarding this case. The next steps will depend on the determination of the substantive suit as ordered by the court.