SUBSCRIBERS on the MTN network, who make use of the suspended Xtratime airtime lending service, will need to wait for more time before they can re-access the service on the network.

Sources within MTN Nigeria said the service will be restored after a formal approval from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), which had earlier ordered telcos to suspend the service based on new rules.

While Airtel and Globacom have restored the service on their networks, subscribers on MTN network are yet to regain access to the service.

One source within MTN said the firm awaits FCCPC formal directive on the DEON service. Another source said: “Are you sure we have not restored the service? If other networks have done that, MTN should have too.

“But if not, I can assure you that soon the service will be restored. It could be that the technical team is perfecting the process. The service will be restored anytime soon. That’s if it is not on already.”

While some platforms claimed MTN had restored the services, a large number of subscribers, reacting on social media, faulted the restoration, claiming the service is still very much suspended.

MTN, which is the largest operator in Nigeria, currently provides 96 million customers with telephone services in the country with 51.6 per cent penetration, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Reports claimed that about 40 million Nigerians access the airtime lending service in the country.
Already, Airtel and Globacom have restored airtime lending services following the regulatory pause. MTN’s Xtratime allows subscribers to borrow airtime or data and repay through subsequent recharges. The product generates fees, supports telecom consumption, and sits at the intersection of the company’s telecom and fintech businesses.

Speaking recently in Lagos, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, Tobechukwu Okigbo, said: “In terms of what needs to happen for us to resume airtime advance service, there are essentially two conditions,”, said during the earnings call. “First, we would require either a court ruling that sets aside the regulations empowering the FCCPC to license, which has not happened, or a clear directive instructing us to reinstate the service.”

The company’s stance changed after the FCCPC suspended enforcement of its Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations (DEON Regulations) 2025 on May 22. The suspension followed an April 15 interim order issued by the Federal High Court in Lagos after a lawsuit filed by the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN), the umbrella body for value-added service providers.

MTN, however, insists that Xtratime’s absence has not fundamentally altered customer demand.

“There was a short-term impact on consumption patterns, which lasted only a few days,” MTN Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, said during the earnings call. “However, as time progressed, customers adapted. They either shifted to self-funded usage or found alternative ways to manage short-term needs.”

According to MTN, fees from Xtratime contribute roughly three per cent of revenue, while airtime and data consumption linked to the product account for a low-20 per cent share of total airtime distribution.
“This consumption is split across voice and data in line with the mix reflected in our revenue,” Toriola said.