Nigeria's Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has expanded its roster of approved airtime and data credit operators, adding four new firms to a licensing framework that remains under judicial scrutiny. The newly approved entities are Technotrends Platforms Nigeria Limited, Fonyou Technologies Nigeria Limited, MRS Innovation Nigeria Limited, and ERL Telecoms Service Limited. These companies join Total Tim Nigeria Limited, Rane Interactive Medien CLS Limited, Mode NG Applications Limited, Cloud Interactive Associate Limited, and Coverage Broadband Limited, which secured approval in April, bringing the total number of approved operators from five to nine.
These approvals were reportedly granted under the Digital Economy Operations Network (DEON) Consumer Lending Regulations 2025, a framework whose legal standing has been challenged. On April 15, 2026, the Federal High Court in Lagos issued an interim injunction, 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 court subsequently rejected the commission's attempt to have this injunction discharged on April 28, thereby keeping the order in effect.
Legal tensions surrounding the framework escalated on May 18 when committal proceedings were initiated against the FCCPC’s executive vice chairman due to allegations of non-compliance with the extant court order. Four days later, the commission officially announced the suspension of DEON enforcement, stating that this decision was made in accordance with the court’s directive. This suspension facilitated the restoration of airtime credit services by major telecommunications operators, including Airtel Nigeria and Globacom, after a six-week service disruption affecting millions of subscribers.
Reports published by national newspapers on June 6, citing sources within the FCCPC, confirmed the addition of these four new licensed operators. These approvals are understood to be part of broader efforts to foster indigenous fintech participation within Nigeria’s expanding airtime and data credit market. However, this expansion has raised questions among industry stakeholders concerning the validity of issuing new approvals under a framework that is concurrently subject to a court injunction and an administrative suspension. These stakeholders argue that granting new commercial rights under a regulatory regime currently restrained by the courts risks introducing additional uncertainty for operators, lenders, and consumers alike.
This development unfolds as there are broader calls for improved coordination among regulatory bodies. Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), had previously acknowledged the FCCPC’s decision to suspend DEON enforcement as a constructive step toward re-establishing market stability. He had also advocated for closer collaboration among regulators.