Nigeria's WASPAN Appeals Court Ruling on FCCPC Digital Lending Powers

The Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN) filed a notice of appeal on 21 July seeking to overturn a Federal High Court judgment that upheld the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s (FCCPC) Digital Economy and Online Non‑Interest (DEON) consumer‑lending regulations. The appeal argues that the FCCPC exceeded its authority by regulating operators in the telecommunications sector, a domain reserved for the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) under the Nigerian Communications Act of 2003.

WASPAN presented nine grounds of appeal, contending that the lower court misread key provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 2018 and failed to give effect to the sector‑specific powers granted to the NCC. In addition to asking the Court of Appeal to set aside the judgment, WASPAN has sought an injunction to restrain the FCCPC from enforcing the DEON regulations while the appeal is pending.