MTN Nigeria has temporarily suspended its Xtratime airtime and data advance service as it works to comply with fresh lending regulations introduced by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
In a filing to the Nigerian Exchange on Thursday, the operator said the move followed the commission’s Digital, Electronic, Online or Non‑Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025, which bring airtime and data credit advances within a tighter licensing and compliance regime.
Xtratime, which allows prepaid customers to borrow small amounts of airtime or data and repay on their next recharge, “falls under the scope” of the new rules, MTN said in a statement signed by company secretary Uto Ukpanah.
The service has therefore been suspended “temporarily” while the company implements required processes.
MTN emphasised that customers can still purchase airtime and data through other channels and said it does not expect the pause to have a material impact on earnings, given the service’s weight in the revenue mix.
The group added that it was monitoring user behaviour and would report further in its first‑quarter 2026 results.
The FCCPC’s 2025 regulations broaden oversight of digital lending to encompass telecoms firms and other providers of short‑term credit, requiring operators of airtime and data advance schemes to register and obtain approval before resuming operations.
The rules extend an earlier regulatory framework for digital lending introduced in 2022, with stricter provisions and transitional deadlines that require full registration by April 2026.
Regulators say the tighter controls seek to address rising concerns over consumer indebtedness, data privacy and the conduct of lenders in Nigeria’s rapidly growing digital credit market.
