By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Barely 24 hours after MTN Nigeria announced the suspension of its data and airtime lending services, another operator, Airtel Nigeria, has followed suit.

In a statement on Friday by its Director of Corporate Communications & CSR, Mr Femi Adeniran, Airtel Nigeria said it would not no longer offer the airtime and data credit services for now.

However, the company noted that customers will continue to enjoy uninterrupted access to airtime and data purchases through its existing channels.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) introduced new rules on lending services in the country, and in compliance with this, telecommunications companies had to suspend rendering the services.

The affected services allowed eligible prepaid customers to borrow airtime or data and repay on their next recharge.

The Director of Marketing at Airtel Nigeria, Mr Ismail Adeshina, in the statement, noted the suspension of the services was to “align our operations with evolving requirements.”

“Airtel Nigeria remains committed to the highest standards of compliance, transparency, and consumer protection, while continuing to innovate responsibly within Nigeria’s digital ecosystem,” he added.

The telco noted that the temporary suspension is not expected to have a material impact on its service standards across the country, promising to provide updates on the status of the service in due course.

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The airtime and data credit advance service offered by MTN Nigeria under the product name Xtratime has been temporarily suspended.

In a notice to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited on Thursday, MTN Nigeria explained that the decision to pause the service was due to regulatory compliance with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

However, it said customers could continue to purchase airtime and data through other alternative digital channels.

The company also disclosed that it does not expect the suspension of Xtratime to affect its topline because of its robust revenue mix.

“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).

“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.

“In the interim, customers continue to have access to alternative digital channels for airtime and data purchases.

“Given the scale within the revenue mix, we do not expect the temporary suspension to have a material impact.

“We are closely monitoring customer behaviour and usage trends and will provide an update on any quantified impact in our Q1 2026 results,” the notice signed by the company secretary, Ms Uto Ukpanah, read.

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

A crypto-to-naira payout platform, Breedjr, has embarked on an upgrade designed to deliver faster settlements and improved rate transparency for users.

Since its launch in 2025, it has successfully executed $4 million in total payouts, indicating its growing acceptance in the digital currency landscape.

The milestone and product update signal a strategic shift in Breedjr’s positioning within Nigeria’s crypto-to-naira market. The platform’s growth has been driven largely by high-frequency users generating significant transaction volumes, a trend the company is now leaning into as it sharpens its focus on this segment.

This evolution comes amid rapid changes in Nigeria’s crypto ecosystem. The country ranked among the top globally in crypto transaction volume in early 2026 and continues to lead in peer-to-peer trading activity.

Stablecoins such as USDT and USDC play a central role, serving as both a hedge against naira volatility and a key channel for receiving international payments.

At the same time, the regulatory environment has become more structured following the enactment of the Investments and Securities Act 2025, which places virtual asset service providers under the oversight of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), raising compliance expectations across the ecosystem.

Business Post reports that the company had to carry out the upgrade to satisfy a growing segment of users, including traders, freelancers, and recurring converters, who rely on seamless conversion of digital assets into naira.

With the enhanced experience, users can generate a receiving address within the app, view exchange rates upfront before initiating transactions, send funds from any exchange, and receive naira directly into their Nigerian bank accounts in under 60 seconds.

The latest improvements focus on speed and clarity, particularly for users handling larger transaction volumes.

According to the company, settlement times have been further optimised across supported assets, including USDT, USDC, and BTC, while rate confirmation is now provided before funds are transferred, eliminating uncertainty in the conversion process.

“For many active crypto users, the challenge is not receiving digital assets—it’s being able to convert them into naira quickly and with confidence, especially at higher volumes.

“What we are building goes beyond speed. It’s about creating a payout experience user can trust when transaction size truly matters,” the chief executive of Breedjr,” Mr Ikenna Eneje, said.