FCCPC expands airtime credit operator list despite ongoing court injunction, DEON suspension

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has expanded its list of approved airtime and data credit operators from five to nine.

FCCPC added four new firms to a licensing framework that remains under judicial scrutiny and has been officially suspended by the Commission pending court proceedings.

The newly approved operators are Technotrends Platforms Nigeria Limited, Fonyou Technologies Nigeria Limited, MRS Innovation Nigeria Limited, and ERL Telecoms Service Limited.

They join Total Tim Nigeria Limited, Rane Interactive Medien CLS Limited, Mode NG Applications Limited, Cloud Interactive Associate Limited, and Coverage Broadband Limited, which received approval in April.

The approvals were reportedly granted under the Digital Economy Operations Network (DEON) Consumer Lending Regulations 2025, a framework whose legal status remains uncertain following an interim injunction issued by the Federal High Court in Lagos.

On April 15, 2026, Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa granted an interim order in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/760/2026 restraining the FCCPC from enforcing or implementing the DEON regulations against members of the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPA).

The commission’s subsequent attempt to have the injunction discharged was rejected by the court on April 28, leaving the order in force.

Legal tensions surrounding the framework intensified on May 18 when committal proceedings were initiated against the FCCPC’s executive vice chairman over allegations of non-compliance with the court order.

Four days later, the commission announced the suspension of DEON enforcement, stating that the decision was made in compliance with the court’s directive.

The suspension paved the way for the restoration of airtime credit services by major telecommunications operators, including Airtel Nigeria and Globacom, after a six-week disruption that affected millions of subscribers.

Reports published by national newspapers on June 6 cited sources within the FCCPC confirming the addition of four new licensed operators. The approvals are said to form part of broader efforts to encourage indigenous fintech participation in Nigeria’s growing airtime and data credit market.

However, the expansion has sparked questions among industry stakeholders regarding the validity of issuing new approvals under a framework that remains subject to both a court injunction and an administrative suspension.

They argue that granting new commercial rights under a regulatory regime currently restrained by the courts risks creating further uncertainty for operators, lenders, and consumers. The development comes amid wider calls for improved coordination among regulators.

Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), had previously welcomed the FCCPC’s decision to suspend DEON enforcement, describing it as a constructive step toward restoring stability to the market.

He urged for closer collaboration among regulatory agencies to prevent future disruptions to the estimated 40 million Nigerians who rely on airtime and data credit services.

As legal proceedings continue, the latest approvals are likely to intensify debate over the future of the DEON framework and the regulatory oversight of Nigeria’s expanding digital credit ecosystem.