Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an interim injunction restraining MTN Nigeria and Airtel Networks from suspending or interfering with Nairtime Nigeria’s access to critical telecommunications platforms including short codes, SMS, USSD, and billing services, following a directive by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) that left Nigerians without a safety net.
The order, granted on April 24, 2026 in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/779/2026, ensures that millions of consumers, particularly those without access to traditional banking, can continue to access airtime and data on credit, services increasingly vital for daily communication, work, education, and digital participation.
Nairtime, part of the Optasia Group, is a leading provider of airtime and data credit services in Africa and the Middle East, facilitating micro-lending for mobile users.
According to Nairtime, the court’s intervention provides policy certainty and reinforces the legitimacy of its operations, which are conducted under a valid Value-Added Service licence issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The company noted that the suspension linked to the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations 2025 risked disrupting services relied upon daily by ordinary Nigerians.
Ms Uchenna Agbo, chief commercial officer of Optasia and chief executive officer of Nairtime Nigeria Limited, said: “This decision is ultimately about protecting underserved Nigerian consumers.
It ensures that millions of people, many of whom are underserved by traditional financial systems, retain uninterrupted access to essential digital services. Over time, using these services responsibly can help them prove reliability and improve their chances of accessing bigger financial opportunities in the future.
“Our platform enables responsible, data-driven lending that keeps people connected when they need it most and we look forward to working with our partners to restore services in a manner that resumes full service value to the Nigerian consumers without further delay.”
Nairtime reaffirmed its commitment to consumer and data protection through stringent governance frameworks and ethical use of artificial intelligence, and emphasised that it shares the broader consumer protection objectives of the Federal Government while remaining open to constructive engagement with regulators and industry partners.
Agbo added: “We have built a system that supports inclusion at scale, while maintaining strong risk controls for industry stability and economic impact. This ruling allows us to continue delivering safe, reliable services that Nigerians depend on every day.
“We remain focused on ensuring that the Nigerian consumer stays at the centre of innovation and will continue working with regulators and our partners, including MTN and Airtel, to promote a fair, transparent, and inclusive digital ecosystem that benefits Nigeria and all Nigerians.”
Optasia, which listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in late 2025 and was founded in Nigeria 14 years ago, provides the infrastructure layer connecting mobile network operators and banks to millions of underserved customers.
Through global partnerships with 50 distribution partners and 17 financial institutions, including some of Africa’s largest MNOs and tier-one banks, the platform uses proprietary AI that processes credit decisions in under one second, using alternative data to assess risk for customers who have never held a formal credit product.
Beyond telcos, the company is also developing new propositions including SME and merchant finance, longer-term and higher-value credit, telco BNPL and revolving credit lines, and embedding its platform across adjacent ecosystems and verticals.
