Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed July 20, 2026, for judgment in a suit challenging the legality of portions of the Digital, Electronic, Online, or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025.
Gatekeepers News reports that Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa fixed the date on Monday after parties adopted their final written addresses and concluded arguments in the matter.
The suit was instituted by the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN) against the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
WASPAN is challenging the legality of several provisions contained in the FCCPC regulations, also known as the DEON Consumer Lending Regulations, which were gazetted and came into effect on July 21, 2025.
The FCCPC had stated in September 2025 that the regulations, issued pursuant to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018, were introduced to provide a comprehensive framework for registration, transparency, ethical loan recovery, data privacy, and responsible lending within Nigeria’s digital lending industry.
In its suit, WASPAN argued that some provisions of the regulations would negatively affect its members operating within the country’s digital lending ecosystem.
The association asked the court to restrain the FCCPC from enforcing several sections of the regulations, including paragraphs 3, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 24, 27, 29, and 32.
WASPAN also urged the court to stop the commission from imposing sanctions, fines, or penalties on its members, as well as issuing directives capable of disrupting their operations.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa had earlier, in April, restrained the FCCPC from enforcing portions of the regulations pending the determination of the suit.
During proceedings on Monday, counsel to the FCCPC, Olufunke Aboyade, argued that the regulations had been in existence since July 2025 and questioned why the applicant filed the suit long after their introduction.
Aboyade maintained that the regulations were designed as consumer protection measures and argued that WASPAN failed to comply with the mandatory statutory pre-action notice requirements before approaching the court.
Responding, counsel to WASPAN, Kemi Pinheiro, urged the court to dismiss the preliminary objection raised by the FCCPC.
Pinheiro argued that the commission improperly introduced disputed facts without supporting affidavit evidence.
He further contended that issues relating to delay and alleged non-compliance with procedural requirements could not validly be raised through written submissions alone.
According to him, constitutional provisions guaranteeing access to court supersede technical objections relating to pre-action notices where a litigant alleges imminent regulatory injury.
Pinheiro also accused the FCCPC of taking inconsistent legal positions by challenging the jurisdiction of the court while simultaneously seeking affirmative reliefs from the same court.
He further argued that the commission was unlawfully attempting to exercise powers already vested in the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
After listening to submissions from both parties, Justice Lewis-Allagoa adjourned the matter to July 20 for judgment.
