Stakeholders in Nigeria’s telecommunications and digital finance sectors have urged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to strengthen regulatory collaboration following the Federal High Court’s judgment affirming that both agencies have complementary roles in regulating Nigeria’s evolving digital credit ecosystem. NigerianBusiness Coverage
The call follows the Federal High Court’s recent Lagos judgment, in which Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa upheld the validity of the FCCPC’s Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending (DEON) Regulations and affirmed that the Commission’s powers coexist with those of the NCC.
In the judgment, the court held that “concurrency means coexistence, not displacement,” maintaining that while the FCCPC exercises consumer protection powers under its enabling law, the NCC remains the telecommunications licensing and sector regulator.
Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, described the ruling as an opportunity for both regulators to deepen cooperation in the interests of consumers and industry growth.
“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 said.
He had earlier described Airtime Credit Services as “economic infrastructure” relied upon by about 40 million Nigerians, warning that the temporary disruption of the service had consequences extending beyond the telecommunications sector.
Industry estimates put Nigeria’s airtime credit market at between ₦300 billion and ₦400 billion annually, underscoring the growing importance of digital micro-credit services to traders, artisans, transport operators, students and other prepaid mobile subscribers who depend on uninterrupted connectivity for business and daily communication.
While subscribers access Airtime Credit Services through their mobile network operators, the underlying technology that enables real-time eligibility assessment, automated credit decisions and repayments is provided by specialised financial technology companies operating within the telecommunications ecosystem.
Among them is Nairtime Nigeria Limited, the Nigerian operation of Optasia, which provides the technology supporting Airtime Credit Services offered by mobile network operators as well as other automated digital credit solutions.
Chief Executive Officer of Nairtime Nigeria and Optasia Chief Commercial Officer, Uchenna Agbo, said continued collaboration among regulators and industry participants would be vital to advancing financial inclusion through technology.
“Fair financial access is at the heart of our business, and we are committed to working constructively with regulators and our partners as the legal process unfolds to promote a fair, transparent and inclusive digital ecosystem that benefits Nigeria and all Nigerians,” Agbo said.
She added that Airtime Credit Services provide “a lifeline for millions of Nigerian consumers who rely on them for daily connectivity.” NigerianBusiness Coverage
The debate over regulatory coordination is expected to continue after the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN) filed a Notice of Appeal challenging aspects of the Federal High Court judgment.
The association is asking the Court of Appeal to clarify the respective regulatory roles of the FCCPC and the NCC in relation to technology-enabled credit services.
Industry analysts said the ongoing legal process highlights the need for institutional cooperation rather than regulatory overlap as digital financial services continue to evolve.
They argued that predictable regulation, effective consumer protection and clearly defined regulatory responsibilities would encourage investment, foster innovation and ensure that millions of Nigerians continue to benefit from secure and accessible digital credit services.
With WASPAN’s appeal now before the Court of Appeal, stakeholders believe sustained collaboration between the NCC and the FCCPC will be critical to protecting consumers while supporting innovation and unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital economy.