The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled a new regulatory initiative, the Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), aimed at bolstering digital security and curbing fraudulent activities across the nation’s telecommunications ecosystem.
The announcement was made on Thursday in Abuja during a keynote address delivered by the Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC) of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, at a one-day stakeholder forum attended by industry representatives.
Dr. Maida, represented by Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management (ECSM) Ms. Rimini Makama, emphasized that mobile numbers, technically known as Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Numbers (MSISDNs), have become critical identifiers in financial transactions, digital authentication, and access to essential services across Nigeria’s economy.
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However, he noted that this evolution has also created vulnerabilities. “The fraudulent use of churned, recycled, swapped, and barred MSISDNs has become a significant vector for financial fraud and identity theft. It is eroding public trust in our digital platforms and undermining the integrity of systems we have worked hard to build,” Maida said.
According to the EVC, TIRMS is a secure, regulatory-backed, cross-sectoral platform designed to provide a uniform approach to managing all risks associated with the use and integrity of registered mobile numbers.
The platform aims to improve access to mobile numbers, enhance user accountability, reduce fraud risks, and enable service providers to proactively verify and validate mobile number status before granting access to services.
Dr. Maida also highlighted that the commission has proposed amendments to the Quality of Service (QOS) Business Rules and Registration of Communications Subscribers Regulations Business Rules to strengthen TIRMS’s regulatory foundation. Key measures include:
Requiring operators to notify affected subscribers at least 14 days before any line is churned.
Mandating the submission of all churned number details to the TIRMS platform within seven days of completion.
Establishing a framework to block fraudulently registered or misused MSISDNs.
In her remarks, Director of Cybersecurity and Internet Governance, Ms. Olatokunbo Oyeleye, described digital trust as the “operating license of the modern economy,” noting that TIRMS will enhance coordination across sectors, ensure mobile number identity assurance, and prevent fraud stemming from churned, swapped, or recycled numbers.
The NCC’s TIRMS initiative is seen as a major step toward securing Nigeria’s digital ecosystem, restoring public confidence in digital platforms, and mitigating identity-based fraud in telecommunications