Nigerian Communications Commission Deploys Security Platform to Tackle Mobile Number Fraud
ABUJA — The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has launched a new regulatory platform, the Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), to combat rising fraud linked to mobile phone numbers across the country’s digital economy.
The Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, announced the initiative during a stakeholder forum in Abuja. He stated that TIRMS is a direct response to the escalating problem of fraudulent transactions, where compromised mobile numbers—including churned, recycled, swapped, and barred ones—are used for financial fraud and identity theft. This trend, he warned, is eroding public trust in digital platforms.
The mobile phone number, technically known as the Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN), has become a critical identifier for financial transactions, digital authentication, and access to essential services. Its widespread adoption has, however, created significant vulnerabilities that TIRMS is designed to address.
TIRMS is described as a secure, cross-sectoral platform that provides a uniform method for managing risks associated with the integrity and use of registered MSISDNs. Its primary functions include enabling service providers from various sectors to verify the status of a mobile number before granting access to services. This verification process aims to identify numbers flagged for dormancy, suspicious activity, or fraud, thereby enhancing user accountability and reducing fraud risks.
To strengthen the regulatory foundation for TIRMS, the NCC has proposed targeted amendments to the Quality of Service (QoS) and Registration of Communications Subscribers regulations. Key changes would require telecom operators to notify subscribers at least 14 days before a number is churned (reassigned), mandate the submission of all churned number details to TIRMS within seven days, and establish a new framework for blocking fraudulently registered or utilised MSISDNs.
“Digital trust is the operating licence of the modern economy,” said Ms. Olatokunbo Oyeleye, the NCC’s Director of Cybersecurity and Internet Governance, during the event. She emphasized that TIRMS is engineered to foster collaboration across sectors, improve identity assurance for mobile numbers, and prevent fraud stemming from number churning and swapping.
The successful implementation of TIRMS is seen as a critical step for Nigeria’s digital ecosystem, aiming to secure a foundational element of digital identity and restore confidence in online transactions and service delivery. The platform represents a coordinated regulatory effort to protect the integrity of the nation’s communications network as it becomes increasingly integral to economic activity.
