Nigeria’s telecom regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission, is stepping up efforts to curb rising digital fraud with a new proposal that could significantly change how mobile phone numbers are managed. At the heart of the plan is a system that will require telecom operators to flag high risk numbers in real time, a move aimed at tightening security and restoring public confidence in the country’s fast growing digital ecosystem.
Central to this initiative is the proposed Telecoms Identity Risk Management System, a unified platform designed to monitor and verify the risk status of mobile numbers across sectors. Mobile numbers, technically known as Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Numbers, have evolved into more than just communication tools. Today, they serve as critical identity links for banking, e commerce, and access to government services, making any vulnerability in their management a potential gateway for widespread fraud.
Speaking on the development, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Aminu Maida, noted that while the growing reliance on mobile numbers has improved digital access, it has also introduced new risks. Fraudsters are increasingly exploiting recycled, swapped, or inactive numbers to gain unauthorised access to financial accounts. Once a number is reassigned, it may still carry traces of the previous user’s digital identity, creating loopholes that can be manipulated during account recovery or authentication processes.
To close these gaps, the Commission’s proposed system will enable telecom operators, banks, and other authorised institutions to instantly verify whether a number has been recently reassigned, flagged, or linked to suspicious activity. While operators such as MTN Nigeria have raised concerns about implementation challenges and the need for stronger collaboration across sectors, the NCC insists the initiative will foster transparency, strengthen identity protection, and create a more coordinated response to telecom related fraud in the country.