MTN Nigeria has announced the temporary suspension of its airtime and data credit advance service, popularly known as “Xtratime”.
The telecommunications company announced the suspension in a corporate notice filed with the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on Thursday.
MTN Xtratime service allows subscribers to borrow airtime or data on credit and pay back on their next recharge — a feature that has become a staple for millions of Nigerians during financial “dry spells”.
According to the statement signed by Uto Ukpanah, the company secretary, the move is to allow the firm to comply with the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025.
The new regulations introduced a stringent compliance and licensing framework for all entities providing digital or “non-traditional” credit services to consumers.
“MTN Nigeria Communications PLC hereby notifies the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the investing public that the Company has temporarily suspended its airtime and data credit advance service (Xtratime),” the notice reads.
“This relates to the implementation of processes under the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025, which introduced a new compliance and licensing framework for entities providing digital or non-traditional consumer credit services.”
Despite the suspension of the credit feature, MTN assured its subscribers that they can still purchase airtime and data through other digital channels, such as banking apps and USSD platforms.
Addressing potential concerns from investors, the telco said the suspension is not expected to significantly dent its earnings.
“Given the scale within the revenue mix, we do not expect the temporary suspension to have a material impact,” the company said.
“We are closely monitoring customer behaviour and usage trends and will provide an update on any quantified impact in our Q1 2026 results.”
The suspension highlights the widening scope of Nigeria’s consumer lending regulation, which now extends beyond traditional financial institutions to include telecoms operators and other providers of short-term digital credit.
The FCCPC had previously introduced a limited regulatory framework for digital lending in 2022 but escalated its oversight with the 2025 regulations, which require all operators in the sector to register and obtain approval to continue offering services.
Under the rules, companies providing non-traditional credit services, including airtime and data advances, are required to comply with licensing conditions as part of efforts to improve transparency, consumer protection, and data governance in the rapidly growing digital lending space.
The commission has also set transitional deadlines for operators already providing such services, with a compliance window extended to April 2026 for full registration under the new framework.
The suspension comes as the federal government ramps up oversight of the digital lending space to protect consumers and ensure financial stability within the electronic ecosystem.
The regulations, also known as the DEON consumer lending regulation, were officially gazetted and took effect on July 21, 2025.
In September 2025, FCCPC said the rules, issued under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (2018), would serve as a comprehensive framework for registration, transparency, and ethical loan recovery.
In November 2025, FCCPC set January 5, 2026, as the deadline for full compliance with the regulations.
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