The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) plans to lengthen phone number verification to extra sectors of the economic system to scale back fraud dangers linked to recycled numbers and compromised digital identities.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, disclosed this on Tuesday in Lagos on the fee’s ninety fifth Telecom Consumer Parliament.
He stated the proposed enlargement of the Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS) would assist organisations determine recycled phone numbers and people flagged for fraudulent actions.
Maida stated phone numbers had change into an essential a part of digital identification, as they’re more and more used to entry monetary providers, handle pensions and store on-line.
NCC targets recycled numbers and digital identification fraud
Explaining the necessity for the enlargement, Maida stated phone numbers had change into central to how folks entry digital providers.
- “A phone number has also become part of our digital identity, used to access financial services, manage pensions and shop online,” Maida stated.
He stated the fee was working with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to lengthen the system to different sectors that depend on phone numbers to determine prospects and facilitate transactions.
The proposed enlargement of TIRMS would assist organisations recognise recycled phone numbers and numbers flagged for fraud, decreasing the danger of unauthorised entry to prospects’ accounts and providers.
- Maida additionally highlighted the fee’s interventions to enhance community high quality and defend telecom shoppers.
- He disclosed that the fee had recorded greater than 6,500 community interventions in 2026, together with tools upgrades and capability enlargement to enhance connectivity.
He stated operators have been anticipated to translate their investments into extra dependable calls and web connections, whereas the fee monitored community efficiency and required suppliers to tackle shortcomings.
75 million subscribers obtain airtime compensation
Maida disclosed that 75 million subscribers had obtained airtime compensation for poor service in 2026 underneath the fee’s Consumer Compensation Framework.
He, nonetheless, harassed that compensation couldn’t make up for the broader penalties of service failures, together with misplaced enterprise alternatives and disrupted communication.
- “Compensation matters, but it cannot recover a lost business opportunity or an important conversation that could not take place,” he stated.
Maida additional disclosed that just about three million subscribers had obtained refunds for failed airtime and information purchases underneath a framework developed with the CBN, telecom operators and monetary service suppliers.
He stated the framework was designed to hint failed transactions and guarantee well timed refunds, stopping shoppers from being handed repeatedly between banks and community operators when in search of redress.
NCC plans clearer information utilization notifications
On information transparency, Maida stated the fee’s forthcoming utilization notification guideline would supply clearer info on each day information consumption, remaining balances and detailed utilization breakdowns to assist subscribers monitor their spending.
- He stated tariff simplification measures would additionally make bundle costs, allowances and validity durations simpler to perceive, whereas operators have been anticipated to examine disputed information utilization pretty and clarify their findings.
- Maida additionally suggested shoppers to confirm cellular gadgets earlier than buy by means of the fee’s Device Checker by dialling *315# or calling 315, to examine compliance with the NCC’s Type Approval necessities and keep away from unsafe or counterfeit merchandise.
On complaints, he urged subscribers to contact their service suppliers first, receive criticism reference numbers and escalate unresolved circumstances to the fee by means of its toll-free line, 622.
NCC’s efforts to curb SIM-related fraud
The NCC’s deliberate enlargement of phone number verification builds on earlier regulatory efforts to deal with SIM-related fraud, strengthen shopper safety and scale back the dangers related to recycled phone numbers.
As a part of these broader efforts, the NCC proposed in March 2026 that telecom operators give subscribers at least 14 days’ notice before deactivating SIM cards due to inactivity or postpaid churn. The proposal additionally included a requirement for operators to submit particulars of deactivated numbers to TIRMS inside seven days.
