NCC To Launch Portal To Curb Fraud From Recycled SIMs

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is set to launch a cross-sector platform designed to prevent fraud linked to recycled SIM cards, allowing financial and security regulators to track reassigned phone numbers.
Known as the Telecoms Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), the portal is scheduled to go live by the end of March 2026.
The initiative comes in response to recurring challenges where users receive messages intended for previous owners or are investigated for offences allegedly committed by former users of reassigned numbers.
The platform will collect and share data on churned (recycled) numbers and numbers flagged for fraudulent activity across sectors. Key stakeholders, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), pension regulators, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and security agencies, will have controlled access to the system.
“The goal is to prevent the misuse of numbers when they change hands. The information on this platform will be made available to relevant stakeholders across various sectors,” the NCC document said.
The document emphasised that integrating TIRMS across industries requires careful coordination, as Know-Your-Customer (KYC) requirements differ between sectors.
The NCC has begun amending its Quality of Service (QoS) Regulations of 2024 and the Registration of Communications Subscribers Regulations of 2022 to support TIRMS deployment. These revisions include notification of line owners whose numbers are about to be churned via alternative contact channels, prior to disconnection, and establishment of a regulatory framework for warehousing churned numbers within TIRMS.
Subscribers wishing to retain inactive numbers will be able to use the “line parking” provision, which allows a line to be preserved for up to one year at minimal cost, preventing it from being classified as inactive.
The NCC is also finalising a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) to operationalise the system upon launch.
“The revised rules will ensure TIRMS functions efficiently while providing safeguards against fraudulent use of recycled numbers,” the NCC added.