NCC Expands Phone Number Verification to Curb Fraud

In Short

Nigeria’s telecom regulator, the NCC, says it will expand phone number verification to more parts of the economy. The goal is to reduce fraud linked to recycled phone numbers and compromised digital identities.

What Happened

At its 95th Telecom Consumer Parliament in Lagos, NCC Executive Vice Chairman Aminu Maida said the commission plans to extend phone number verification using TIRMS.

TIRMS stands for Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System. It is a tool that helps organisations confirm whether a phone number has been recycled, meaning reassigned to a new person, or flagged for suspicious activity.

The NCC says phone numbers now act like a basic digital ID. People use them to access banking and other financial services, manage pensions, and shop online.

Maida said the NCC is working with the Central Bank of Nigeria to extend the system to other sectors that rely on phone numbers to identify customers and approve transactions.

The NCC also shared service quality updates. It said it recorded over 6,500 network interventions in 2026, including equipment upgrades and capacity expansion.

On consumer redress, Maida said 75 million subscribers received airtime compensation for poor service in 2026 under the Consumer Compensation Framework. He also said nearly three million subscribers got refunds for failed airtime and data purchases under a framework developed with the CBN, telecom operators, and financial service providers.

Finally, the NCC said it plans new data usage notification guidelines. These would show clearer daily usage, remaining balances, and detailed breakdowns to help subscribers track spending.

Why It Matters

Recycled phone numbers can become an easy entry point for account takeovers. If a new user gets a number tied to an old bank or wallet account, they may receive OTPs (one-time passwords, like a single-use PIN) or reset links by mistake.

For fintechs, banks, pension platforms, and e-commerce businesses, stronger phone number verification can reduce fraud losses and customer support load. It can also improve trust in mobile-based identity checks, which are common across Nigeria’s digital economy.

If the NCC expands TIRMS beyond telecoms successfully, more sectors may adopt consistent checks on phone number risk. That could change how onboarding, login security, and transaction approvals work across Nigeria.