The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) plans to lengthen phone number verification to extra sectors of the economic system to cut 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 mentioned the proposed enlargement of the Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS) would assist organisations establish recycled phone numbers and people flagged for fraudulent actions.
Maida mentioned phone numbers had turn into an vital a part of digital id, as they’re more and more used to entry monetary companies, handle pensions and store on-line.
NCC targets recycled numbers and digital id fraud
Explaining the necessity for the enlargement, Maida mentioned phone numbers had turn into central to how folks entry digital companies.
- “A phone number has also become part of our digital identity, used to access financial services, manage pensions and shop online,” Maida mentioned.
He mentioned the fee was working with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to lengthen the system to different sectors that depend on phone numbers to establish prospects and facilitate transactions.
The proposed enlargement of TIRMS would assist organisations recognise recycled phone numbers and numbers flagged for fraud, lowering the chance of unauthorised entry to prospects’ accounts and companies.
- 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 gear upgrades and capability enlargement to enhance connectivity.
He mentioned 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 deal with shortcomings.
75 million subscribers obtain airtime compensation
Maida disclosed that 75 million subscribers had acquired airtime compensation for poor service in 2026 beneath the fee’s Consumer Compensation Framework.
He, nonetheless, pressured 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 mentioned.
Maida additional disclosed that just about three million subscribers had acquired refunds for failed airtime and information purchases beneath a framework developed with the CBN, telecom operators and monetary service suppliers.
He mentioned 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 looking for redress.
NCC plans clearer information utilization notifications
On information transparency, Maida mentioned the fee’s forthcoming utilization notification guideline would offer clearer data on each day information consumption, remaining balances and detailed utilization breakdowns to assist subscribers monitor their spending.
- He mentioned 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 via the fee’s Device Checker by dialling *315# or calling 315, to test 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, get hold of criticism reference numbers and escalate unresolved circumstances to the fee via 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 sort out SIM-related fraud, strengthen shopper safety and cut 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.
