Airtel Suspends Airtime and Data Credit Services Amid New CBN Lending Rules

Airtel Follows MTN

Airtel Nigeria has suspended its airtime and data credit services, becoming the second major telecom operator in the country to halt such offerings. The suspension was announced on Friday in a statement signed by Femi Adeniran, the company’s Director of Corporate Communications and CSR.

The service, which allowed eligible prepaid customers to borrow airtime or data and repay on their next recharge, has been a lifeline for millions of Nigerians who run out of credit at inconvenient times. Airtel said the suspension is temporary and stems from the need to align with new regulatory requirements for digital lending in Nigeria.

Why Now

The move follows MTN’s similar suspension earlier this month. Both companies cite new Central Bank of Nigeria guidelines on digital lending that require stricter compliance, including proper licensing and consumer protection provisions. The CBN has been tightening oversight of digital credit products after years of complaints about hidden charges, auto-deductions, and opaque repayment terms.

For the telecoms, the credit services were never core business. They were value-added products that kept customers on the network during low-balance moments. But the regulatory burden of running what amounts to a micro-lending operation, even at small scale, has apparently become more trouble than it is worth.

The Real Impact

Millions of Nigerians will notice the absence. Airtime borrowing is deeply embedded in how people manage phone costs, especially in rural and low-income areas where every naira counts. When your balance hits zero and you cannot reach family or confirm a transaction, borrowing ₦50 or ₦100 of airtime is a practical solution.

Neither company has said when the services will return. That will likely depend on how quickly they can restructure the products to meet CBN’s new standards. In the meantime, subscribers are left with one fewer safety net, and the informal alternatives, asking friends to flash you, using WiFi calling, or switching networks, are poor substitutes for the convenience of a quick airtime loan.

Sources: Guardian Nigeria, Nairametrics, Technext