The list of all approved loan applications, also known as Digital Money Lenders, has been removed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission from its website.
According to Nairametrics, the list, which contains the names of more than 180 loan applications that have been registered in the country, was allegedly removed for “clean-up.”
The FCCPC website stated that the list is being cleaned up and will be made public as soon as possible.
In a recent interview with Nairametrics, the Chief Executive Officer of FCCPC, Mr. Babatunde Irukera, highlighted some of the difficulties in regulating online lenders. He claimed that because businesses operate online, it is very challenging to have complete regulatory oversight.
He claimed that technology is a fantastic platform for growth and shared wealth, but it also tragically has the potential to be a tool for the exploitation and impoverishment of people.
“We can now say with certainty that individuals ready to do business ethically have entered the Framework, while those committed to engaging in unlawful and unethical commercial practices find other means.
“We are also learning that some people working on the Framework are developing other commercial channels outside of the Framework. As soon as we identify them, we permanently remove them from the list of people who are permitted to operate, without the chance for renewal or return.”
He added that regulators and law enforcement agencies around the world struggle with the laborious task of locating firms on the internet and holding them accountable.
“Nigeria isn’t left out. Indeed, many, even more, developed nations and platforms, like Google, are taking inspiration from some of the initiatives that have thus far been successful in Nigeria,” according to Irukera.
He continued by saying that the knowledge shared by regulators from other nations demonstrates that all regulators face comparable difficulties and are still gaining knowledge about how to oversee internet-based firms.
