Nigeria’s telecommunications regulator is stepping up efforts to curb rising cases of digital fraud with the introduction of a new system designed to tighten oversight around mobile number usage.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has rolled out a Telecoms Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), a cross-sector platform intended to address vulnerabilities associated with recycled and reassigned phone numbers.
The move follows earlier signals from the Commission in February about plans to establish a coordinated framework enabling regulators in finance and security to monitor mobile number transitions more effectively.
At the core of the initiative is mounting concern over the exploitation of mobile number lifecycle gaps by fraudsters. When phone numbers become inactive, reassigned, or are subject to SIM swaps, they can be manipulated to gain unauthorised access to bank accounts, bypass security authentication processes, and facilitate identity-related crimes.
The introduction of the platform comes amid heightened anxiety over SIM-related fraud in Nigeria, particularly cases involving recycled, inactive, or compromised phone numbers that have become key enablers of financial crimes.
Data from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) highlights the scale of the issue, with 67,518 digital payment fraud incidents recorded in 2025, resulting in total losses of N25.85 billion. The figures point to persistent vulnerabilities within the country’s digital payment ecosystem.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has also identified SIM-swap fraud, insider compromise, and Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams as emerging threats, warning that they continue to place increasing pressure on Nigeria’s financial system and broader digital infrastructure.
The NCC believes the absence of a centralised verification mechanism has allowed such practices to persist across industries.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ consultative session held in Abuja, Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman of the Commission, described the platform as a unified response to risks tied to mobile number integrity. He said, “The Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number, commonly known as the SIM or mobile phone number, has evolved into a critical identifier underpinning financial transactions, digital authentication, and access to essential services across all sectors of our economy.”
According to Maida, this expanded role has also made them attractive targets for fraud. He pointed out that recycled, churned, swapped, or barred numbers have emerged as major entry points for financial crimes and identity theft, creating systemic risks that cut across multiple sectors.
To address these challenges, TIRMS is designed to enable telecom operators, banks, and other service providers to validate the status of mobile numbers before granting access to sensitive services. Numbers flagged for suspicious activity can be identified in real time, helping institutions prevent unauthorised transactions and reduce exposure to fraud.
The Commission is also proposing regulatory adjustments to support the rollout of the platform. Among them is a requirement for telecom operators to notify subscribers at least 14 days before their lines are deactivated. Operators would also be expected to upload details of churned or recycled numbers to the platform within seven days, while new rules would guide the blocking of SIM cards linked to fraudulent registrations.
Maida emphasised that the success of the system will depend heavily on collaboration across industries. The NCC is pushing for closer coordination between telecom companies, financial institutions, security agencies, and consumer protection groups to ensure the platform delivers on its objectives of strengthening trust and accountability within Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
However, industry stakeholders have raised practical concerns about how the system will function once deployed. MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, the country’s largest telecom operator, cautioned that similar frameworks have struggled in the past due to weak adoption, particularly among financial institutions.
The company referenced an existing real-time notification arrangement developed jointly by the NCC and the Central Bank of Nigeria, noting that despite its potential, limited uptake by banks has reduced its overall impact. MTN warned that without mandatory participation, TIRMS could face a similar fate, becoming another underutilised system.
To avoid this, the operator recommended stronger regulatory alignment, including directives from the Central Bank requiring financial institutions to integrate with the platform. It also proposed the creation of a technical working group to address operational challenges such as system integration, cost-sharing models, and standardisation.
Additional concerns have also emerged regarding the practicality of some of the proposed measures. For instance, the requirement to notify subscribers ahead of number reassignment may prove difficult in practice, given that many users do not provide alternative contact details such as secondary phone numbers or email addresses. In addition, the fragmented nature of subscriber data across networks could limit the effectiveness of such notifications.
There are also lingering questions around data harmonisation, particularly in the absence of a unified, real-time database linking all National Identification Numbers (NINs) to mobile lines across operators. This gap, stakeholders argue, could pose challenges for seamless implementation and interoperability.
Despite these reservations, the NCC is maintaining that a collaborative, consultative approach will guide the rollout of TIRMS. The Commission sees the platform not as a standalone solution, but as part of a broader strategy to strengthen digital security infrastructure through shared responsibility among key players.
Maida reiterated that ongoing stakeholder engagement will shape both the regulatory framework and operational design of the system, underscoring the Commission’s intention to build consensus while addressing emerging risks in Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital economy.
