Loan App Harassment: Your Rights Under the 2025 Digital Lending Rules

Many Nigerians have borrowed from a loan app and then received threats, insults, or messages sent to their family and friends calling them thieves. This is now clearly against the law.

In 2025 the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) made the Digital, Electronic, Online, or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations 2025 under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018. The FCCPC announced them on 3 September 2025.

Who the rules cover

The rules cover digital, online and other non-traditional consumer lending. That includes loan apps, lending by airtime or data, and "buy now, pay later" services. These lenders must register with the FCCPC, and the FCCPC publishes a list of approved lenders on its website.

What a lender must not do

Under the rules, a lender and its debt collectors must not:

• Harass, threaten, insult or publicly shame you
• Contact the people in your phone contacts to recover your debt
• Share your personal information without permission
• Make false or defamatory statements about you

Your personal data is also protected by the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023. Using your contact list to pressure you can breach that law as well.

Penalties

A company that breaks the rules can be fined up to ₦100 million or 1% of its turnover. An individual can be fined up to ₦50 million, and a company's directors can be disqualified from acting as directors for up to five years.

The rules survived a court challenge

A group of lenders challenged the rules at the Federal High Court in Lagos, and the FCCPC paused enforcement while an interim court order was in place. On 20 July 2026 the court dismissed the case and upheld the rules, and the FCCPC resumed enforcement.

What to do if a loan app is harassing you

1. 1.Do not delete the messages. Take screenshots of every threat, call log and message sent to your contacts.
2. 2.Check whether the lender is on the FCCPC list of approved digital lenders.
3. 3.Report the lender to the FCCPC through its complaints portal at complaints.fccpc.gov.ng.
4. 4.If your contacts or personal data were misused, you can also complain to the Nigeria Data Protection Commission through its help desk.
5. 5.Speak to a lawyer if the messages were defamatory or caused you real harm. You may be able to claim damages.

You still owe a genuine debt

These rules stop abusive debt recovery, not the debt itself. If you borrowed money, the lender can still ask you to repay and can use lawful means to recover it. If you think the interest or charges were unfair or were not explained to you, keep your loan documents and get advice.