MTN Group expects its Nigerian business to regain momentum in the second half of 2026 after airtime lending resumed after a regulatory suspension in April.
MTN said it cut its airtime lending base to about a quarter of its first-quarter run rate, weighing on revenue through April, May and June. The company is now rebuilding the service, with four vendors in place, and expects lending activity to recover through the second half.
Airtime lending was a key source of MTN Nigeria’s fintech revenue, and its suspension cost the business about ₦50 billion ($37.1 million) in revenue in the first half of 2026. With the service returning, MTN expects growth to pick up.
The telco reported 13% service revenue growth for the period, but group management said growth would have been in the high 20s if the airtime lending suspension and the effect of last year’s tariff increase were excluded. MTN suspended its airtime lending service in April after the Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Nigeria’s consumer watchdog, subjected the service to new licencing and consumer-protection requirements.
In rebuilding the service, Ralph Mupita, MTN Group CEO, said the company expects the eligible customer base to gradually recover through the third and fourth quarters.
