The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) is under scrutiny over its decision to apply digital lending regulations to telecom airtime credit services, with stakeholders questioning the lack of a published Regulatory Impact Assessment. The move, made under the Digital, Electronic and Online Consumer Lending Regulations (DEON), is being challenged in the Federal High Court, Lagos, in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/760/2026, filed by Nigerian-registered technology firms under the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN). These NCC-licensed companies provide airtime credit services used by millions of consumers, and the case is set for judgment on 20 July 2026, when Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa will rule on whether the services should be classified as telecom or consumer lending products.
Ladi Ogunseye, a startup operator and commentator on consumer behaviour and business strategy, stated the debate has shifted from consumer protection to regulatory transparency and due process. He noted the FCCPC has not released an assessment showing the economic impact of the policy on the estimated 40 million Nigerians who use airtime credit services. The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) previously directed federal agencies to conduct RIAs before major regulatory changes, but no such analysis has been made public in this case.
Concerns also surround the FCCPC's approval of replacement operators under DEON, particularly Rane Interaktive Medien CLS Limited. A report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) claimed the company was incorporated less than a year before approval, raising questions about its compliance with operational and disclosure requirements. The FCCPC has not responded to queries about the selection criteria. Additionally, a widely cited N3 trillion valuation of Nigeria's airtime credit market lacks public methodology, while the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), led by chairman Gbenga Adebayo, estimates the market at N300 billion to N400 billion annually. An independent report from August 2025 supports this lower range.
The FCCPC is enforcing strict lending rules on airtime providers while offering no public proof of the policy's economic impact, despite a PEBEC directive requiring such assessments. The commission approved a firm incorporated less than a year prior, raising doubts about compliance standards for other licensed operators. Forty million users may face changes based on a market valuation that lacks verifiable data. The court's ruling in July will determine not just classification, but whether regulatory actions can proceed without transparent evidence.
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