The Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has called for the immediate resolution of the regulatory dispute surrounding Nigeria’s airtime credit market, warning that continued market disruption in the face of subsisting court orders poses a serious risk to consumer welfare, investor confidence, and the credibility of Nigeria’s broader regulatory environment.

ALTON Chairman Gbenga Adebayo, speaking on behalf of the association, on Tuesday, described the current situation as requiring urgent attention from all parties, including regulatory agencies, telecom operators, and the Federal Government.

“What is happening in the airtime credit market is not simply a dispute between regulators. It is a test of whether the structures that underpin business confidence in this country are functioning as they should. Court orders have been issued, businesses hold valid licences, and consumers are still being affected. We believe all parties have a responsibility to bring this to an orderly resolution,” Adebayo said.

Interim injunctions issued by the Federal High Courts in Lagos and Abuja had restrained interference in the operations of licensed Value Added Service providers, including Nairtime Nigeria Limited and members of the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPA). The suspension of airtime credit services, occurring during the period in which those orders remain in force, has drawn concern across the industry and raised questions about coordination among regulatory agencies

The core of the dispute concerns competing jurisdictional claims between the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), whose statutory mandate over the telecoms sector is set out in the Nigerian Communications Act. ALTON has maintained that the regulatory framework governing licensed VAS providers falls squarely within the NCC’s jurisdiction, and that the unresolved overlap between the two agencies is generating the uncertainty now playing out in the market.

ALTON had formally communicated these concerns to the NCC as far back as August 2025, noting that the FCCPC’s regulations appeared to contradict the terms of an existing Memorandum of Understanding between both agencies, and warning of the commercial and legal uncertainty that would follow if the matter remained unresolved.

Adebayo noted that the association’s concern extends beyond its members’ commercial interests. The airtime credit market serves as an informal credit mechanism for millions of Nigerians, particularly traders, artisans, and small-scale entrepreneurs who depend on short-term airtime advances to sustain daily economic activity in the absence of accessible formal credit. The market is estimated to be worth between ₦300 billion and ₦400 billion annually.

“These are not abstract figures. Behind every naira in that market is a Nigerian who cannot go to a bank and get a loan. Airtime credit is how they bridge the gap. When the service goes dark, they feel it immediately,” he said.

On investor confidence, Adebayo added that Nigeria’s ability to attract private capital for digital infrastructure depends significantly on the predictability and coherence of its regulatory environment.

“Investors take their cues from how disputes are managed, not just how they begin. A market where regulatory jurisdiction is unclear and where resolving that uncertainty causes disruption will struggle to attract the kind of long-term investment Nigeria needs. That is not a warning we make lightly.”

ALTON called on the FCCPC and the NCC to pursue urgent inter-agency coordination to resolve the jurisdictional question and restore clarity to the market. The association also urged all parties to ensure that the resolution process operates within the framework established by the courts, and expressed its readiness to engage constructively with both regulatory bodies and the government. (The Guardian)

Update news