The Federal High Court in Lagos has temporarily restrained the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) from enforcing parts of its newly introduced Digital, Electronic, Online and Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025, pending the hearing and determination of a substantive application before the court.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa granted the interim order following an ex-parte motion filed by the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPA Nigeria), which is challenging both the legality and implementation of the regulatory framework.
The association approached the court on April 14, 2026, seeking urgent judicial intervention to halt the enforcement of key provisions of the regulations, commonly referred to as the “Deon Consumer Lending Regulations.”
In his ruling, Justice Lewis-Allagoa, after listening to submissions from the applicant’s counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, alongside Bolu Agbaje Akadri, Esq., and Muyiwa Odubela, Esq., held that the application raised issues deserving of interim protection pending further proceedings.
WASPA Nigeria argued that the regulations, if enforced, would negatively impact its members operating within Nigeria’s digital and online consumer lending ecosystem.
The association urged the court to stop the FCCPC from implementing or enforcing several provisions of the framework, including paragraphs 3, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 24, 27, 29, and 32. It also sought an order restraining the commission from imposing sanctions, penalties, or fines on its members, as well as from issuing directives capable of affecting their operations.
After reviewing the motion ex-parte and the supporting affidavit deposed to by Ayo Stuffman, a Lagos-based Nigerian citizen, the court held that an interim injunction was justified under the circumstances.
Accordingly, the court restrained the FCCPC from enforcing or giving effect to the disputed provisions of the regulations, pending the hearing of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
The judge further barred the commission from taking any steps that could interfere with or prevent WASPA members from continuing their services under the regulatory framework.
In addition, the FCCPC was prohibited from imposing sanctions or penalties on the association’s members over alleged non-compliance, as well as from issuing further directives relating to the implementation of the contested regulations.
The case has been adjourned to April 27, 2026, for hearing of the substantive application.
The ruling represents a temporary setback for the FCCPC, which recently introduced the regulations as part of efforts to strengthen oversight of Nigeria’s fast-growing digital lending and fintech sector.
The framework was designed to address consumer protection concerns, data privacy issues, and unregulated lending practices within the industry.
However, stakeholders in the digital lending and fintech space have continued to raise concerns about its broad scope and potential impact on innovation, compliance costs, and operational flexibility.
