MTN Halts Airtime Credit Service Over FCCPC Compliance Push

MTN Nigeria has temporarily stopped its Xtratime service. The service lets prepaid customers borrow airtime or data and pay back on their next recharge.

The company announced the move in a notice to the Nigerian Exchange Limited on Thursday. Company Secretary Uto Ukpanah signed the statement.

MTN said the suspension is to meet new rules from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. The FCCPC released the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025. These rules add new licensing and compliance steps for companies that offer digital credit.

Because Xtratime is a form of short-term credit, it falls under the new framework. MTN said it is pausing the service while it works through the approval process.

Customers can still buy airtime and data through other channels like bank apps, USSD, and vendors. MTN said the pause will not hurt its finances in a major way.

“We do not expect the temporary suspension to have a material impact,” the company stated. It added that it is watching how customers respond and will share more details in its Q1 2026 report.

The FCCPC’s new rules place telecom firms and other short-term lenders under tighter watch. All affected companies must register and get approval to keep running their services.

The commission set a deadline of April 2026 for full registration. The goal is to protect consumers and bring better control to digital lending in Nigeria.

Source: Nigerian Tribune

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