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No ban on airtime, data credit — FCCPC

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No ban on airtime, data credit — FCCPC

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) says it has not banned airtime borrowing or data advance services in Nigeria.

The statement comes few days after MTN Nigeria said it was suspending its airtime and data credit advance service, popularly known as “Xtratime” in compliance with the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional (DEON) consumer lending regulations, 2025. The regulations 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.

Providing clarity in a statement on Friday, the commission said claims circulating in some media reports and social media posts suggesting it shut down such services are “incorrect”.

“The commission has not prohibited airtime borrowing or data advance services, and no directive was issued preventing consumers from accessing lawful telecom value-added services,” the statement reads.

FCCPC said its intervention in the sector followed complaints from consumers over opaque charges, unexplained deductions, aggressive recovery practices, and poor disclosure standards.

According to the commission, the issues prompted the introduction of the Digital Economy and Online Lending (DEON) consumer lending regulations in July 2025 to address abuses in the market.

“The regulations were introduced to curb the excesses of abusive service providers whose practices had generated persistent consumer harm and undermined confidence in the market,” the FCCPC said.

“The primary aim is to promote a fairer and more transparent system by mandating proper registration, responsible lending conduct, clear disclosure of fees and terms, accessible consumer complaint channels, data protection safeguards, stronger accountability for third-party partners, and effective regulatory oversight.”

The agency said some telecom operators engaged in exclusionary arrangements in violation of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, noting that the regulations were designed to open up the market and encourage fair competition.

The FCCPC said operators were initially given a 90-day compliance window from July 2025 to regularise their operations, which was later extended to January 5, 2026.

However, the commission said some service providers failed to comply within the stipulated timelines and continued operating under existing models that had attracted consumer complaints.

“Any temporary suspension, restriction, or operational change introduced by service providers should therefore be understood as a business or compliance decision by those operators, not a ban imposed by the FCCPC,” the commission added.

The commission accused some vested interests of spreading misinformation to undermine regulatory efforts.

“It is inaccurate to attribute avoidable disruption to regulation where regulated entities had adequate notice and sufficient opportunity to comply.

“Attempts to misrepresent temporary service inconvenience as the result of lawful consumer regulation are mischievous. Nigerians deserve accurate information, not sensational claims,” the agency said.

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Lekki Port Phase 2 construction set for kick-off, says Lagos govt

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Lekki Deep Seaport

By Godwin Oritse

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced that work on Phase 2 of the Lekki Port project will commence soon, a move aimed at strengthening the state’s position as West Africa’s leading maritime and logistics hub.

Speaking at the Invest Lagos Summit 3.0 held in Lagos earlier in this week, Sanwo-Olu highlighted the State’s commitment to expanding critical infrastructure and attracting investment.

He explained that the expansion of the Port will significantly enhance cargo handling capacity, strengthen maritime trade, and deepen Lagos’ role as a gateway to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) market of over 1.4 billion people.

He stated: “With AfCFTA creating a market of over 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP exceeding $3 trillion, Lagos occupies a uniquely strategic position.

“The Lekki Deep Sea Port, within five years, is moving to phase two because it is almost reaching the full potential of its installed capacity. And just within five years, it is moving to phase two. These are not just aspirations but projects that have been implemented and are under implementation. They have been funded, progressing, and transforming the investment landscape of our State”.

In his remark, the Managing Director, Lekki Port, Wang Qiang, commended the Lagos State Government for maintaining a stable and investment-friendly environment.

He noted that the next phase of development will play a key role in expanding the port’s operational and cargo-handling capacity, improving logistics efficiency along the Lekki corridor, and attracting additional global shipping and logistics investments.

Qiang noted that the expansion aligns with Nigeria’s broader trade facilitation agenda and the increasing demands of regional and international shipping networks.

He stated: “We are deeply encouraged by the continued support of the Lagos State Government, whose infrastructure-led policies have created a stable and forward-looking environment for long-term maritime investment.

“The commencement of the next phase of development represents a significant milestone in our journey to expand capacity, enhance operational efficiency, and strengthen Lekki Port’s position as a premier gateway for West African trade under the AfCFTA framework.”

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NNPCL, security agencies intensify crackdown on pipeline vandals

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NNPCL, security agencies intensify crackdown on pipeline vandals

By Udeme Akpan &  Obas Esiedesa

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) and security agencies have intensified efforts to combat pipeline vandalism following the discovery of a damaged section of the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC) crude oil pipeline at Pai Community, Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The joint inspection involved NNPC’s Industry-wide Security Architecture (IWSA), NPSC, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) Special Prosecution Team (SPT), the FCT Police Command, the Nigerian Army and other security stakeholders.

The exercise was aimed at assessing the extent of damage, advancing investigations and strengthening coordinated measures to protect critical national energy infrastructure from economic sabotage.

The visit followed the arrest of three suspected pipeline vandals in Piri and Pai communities through a joint operation involving ONSA’s Special Prosecution Team, the FCT Police Command and NNPC Ltd.’s IWSA.

NPSC, a subsidiary of NNPC Ltd., operates more than 5,000 kilometres of crude oil and petroleum products pipelines across Nigeria. However, pipeline attacks have increased in recent years, with criminal groups targeting infrastructure for illegal removal and theft.

Industry records show that 19 pipeline vandalism cases were recorded in 2025, leading to the theft of about nine kilometres of pipeline sections along the Enugu-Makurdi-Yola route and the Piri-Izom section of the Warri-Kaduna pipeline corridor.

So far in 2026, five cases have been reported, including incidents around Piri-Kwali and Gwagwalada along the Warri-Kaduna crude oil pipeline route, as well as Badanga on the Jos-Gombe pipeline corridor.

Speaking during the inspection, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, represented by Chief Interface Officer, Dahiru Sani-Gwarzo, said the arrests represented an important step towards dismantling criminal networks behind attacks on energy infrastructure.

He said the security architecture was focused not only on apprehending those directly involved but also identifying sponsors and receivers of stolen pipeline materials.

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MTN Nigeria committed to transparency, consumer education  — CEO

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MTN’s public offer of 575m shares ends

By Peter Egwuatu

MTN Nigeria, MTNN Plc, has expressed its commitment to transparency and consumer education in its drive to strengthen trust, and promote greater digital literacy as data continues to play a central role in everyday life.

Dr Karl Toriola, Chief Executive Officer, MTNN, stated this at its public engagement platform code-named  Data on Trial  designed to address consumer concerns about mobile data usage, billing transparency, and digital consumption, stressing that the organisation is committed to transparency in both its financial performance and operations since it is a quoted company on  Nigerian Exchange Limited, NGX.

He stated: “Data on Trial  was created based on a simple belief. Trust, with our customer, grows when they are given access to the information and they are allowed to make up their mind about it. Today’s event is an opportunity for everyone to understand the facts, understand the technology behind what delivers technology in real time, and to ask the most difficult questions and hear different perspectives”.

Throughout the event, MTN’s technical experts responded to questions frequently raised by consumers, including concerns around data depletion, billing accuracy, background application activity, automatic updates, cloud synchronisation, video streaming, and multi-device connectivity.

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