The Nigerian Communications Commission has introduced a new Telecoms Identity Risk Management System to combat mobile number-related fraud and enhance digital security across industries.

Announced on February 27, the initiative will provide a cross-sector platform enabling financial and security regulators to monitor recycled phone numbers, helping to curb fraud from SIM card reassignment.

At a stakeholders’ consultative forum in Abuja on Thursday, the commission’s Executive Vice Chairman,
Aminu Maida, said the platform will create a unified system for managing risks linked to mobile numbers.

He emphasized that mobile numbers, also called MSISDNs, now serve as crucial identifiers for financial transactions, digital authentication, and access to essential services.

However, he warned that recycled, swapped, and fraudulently used SIM cards have become major avenues for financial crimes and identity theft.

“The fraudulent use of churned, recycled, swapped, and barred MSISDNs has become a significant vector for financial fraud and identity theft,” Maida said.

“To address this, the commission has initiated the TIRMS platform to provide a secure, regulatory-backed, cross-sectoral system for managing risks relating to the integrity and utilisation of mobile numbers.”

The EVC explained that the platform will allow service providers, including banks and telecom operators, to verify mobile numbers flagged for suspicious or fraudulent activity before granting access to their services.

He added that the system will boost accountability and strengthen trust in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

The NCC boss also noted that the commission has proposed regulatory amendments to support the platform, including a rule requiring telecom operators to notify subscribers at least 14 days before deactivating their lines.

Maida said the initiative underscores the commission’s drive for cross-sector collaboration among security agencies, financial regulators, telecom operators, and consumer groups.

During the consultation, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc raised concerns about the proposed platform, cautioning that it might duplicate existing solutions without resolving adoption challenges.

The Manager of Telecoms Laws and Regulations at NCC, Anthonia Adaba, said MTN noted that a SIM swap and recycling notification system already operates through collaboration between the NCC, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System, but uptake by financial institutions has been limited.

Adaba cautioned that without mandatory participation, the TIRMS platform could encounter similar limitations and fail to meet its objectives.

She recommended establishing a multi-stakeholder technical working group to define the platform’s operational, integration, and cost framework.

She urged regulators to collaborate with the CBN to require banks and financial institutions to integrate with the system.

Adaba also expressed concerns about the proposed 14-day pre-churn notification rule, pointing out that relying on alternative phone numbers or email addresses may be ineffective because customer data is often incomplete or outdated.

“Relying on email as a notification channel is impractical because email addresses are not mandatory in SIM registration or NIN verification data, and where collected, they are often outdated
or unreliable,” she said.

“As a result, operators lack accurate email records, leading to low delivery success and limited effectiveness of such notifications.

“The Commission should note that pre-churn notifications are only likely effective if the customer has the same network secondary line or a valid email address.”

The NCC stated that it has taken note of the concerns and recommendations and will factor them into its final review of the proposed regulations.