The regulator says it will work with the Central Bank of Nigeria to extend its identity risk system to more sectors, while reporting millions of subscriber refunds and compensation payments.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is planning to expand phone number verification across sectors of the economy to tackle fraud risks linked to recycled telephone numbers and compromised digital identities.

The commission’s Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida, announced the plan on Tuesday, October 20, at the NCC’s 95th Telecom Consumer Parliament in Lagos.

Maida said the proposed expansion of the Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), would help organisations identify numbers that had been reassigned to new users or flagged for fraudulent activities.

“A phone number has also become part of our digital identity, used to access financial services, manage pensions and shop online,” he said.

The system is intended to help authorised organisations check the status of phone numbers before relying on them to identify customers or process transactions.

Phone numbers can be reassigned after a subscriber stops using them. If banks, fintech companies or other service providers fail to update their records, a new owner could receive alerts or verification messages intended for the previous user, potentially exposing accounts and services to unauthorised access.

The NCC’s consumer portal says TIRMS can help authorised service providers identify numbers that are active, swapped, disconnected or reassigned, as well as numbers flagged for risk. However, the commission’s proposed cross-sector expansion is still a plan, and its announcement did not specify a rollout date or list all the sectors expected to participate.

NCC reports 75 million subscribers compensated

Beyond fraud prevention, Maida said the commission had recorded more than 6,500 network interventions in 2026, including equipment upgrades and capacity expansion aimed at improving connectivity.

He said operators were expected to translate their investments into more reliable calls and internet connections, adding that the NCC would continue monitoring network performance and requiring providers to address shortcomings.

The commission also reported that 75 million subscribers had received airtime compensation for poor service in 2026 under its Consumer Compensation Framework.

Maida acknowledged that compensation could not reverse the consequences of network failures.

“Compensation matters, but it cannot recover a lost business opportunity or an important conversation that could not take place,” he said, stressing that preventing service failures remained the priority.

The NCC has said its compensation framework applies to eligible subscribers affected by prolonged or repeated poor service in areas where operators fail to meet prescribed quality-of-service standards. Compensation is provided as airtime credit, with eligibility determined under the framework.

Maida further disclosed that nearly three million subscribers had received refunds for failed airtime and data purchases under a framework developed with the CBN, telecom operators and financial service providers.

The arrangement is designed to trace failed transactions and speed up refunds, reducing the need for customers to move repeatedly between banks and network operators to resolve complaints.

NCC promises clearer data usage information

The commission is also preparing a data usage notification guideline intended to give subscribers clearer information about daily consumption, remaining balances and detailed usage breakdowns.

Maida said tariff simplification measures would make bundle prices, allowances and validity periods easier to understand. Operators would also be expected to investigate disputed data usage fairly and explain their findings.

He urged consumers to check mobile devices before purchasing them through the NCC Device Checker by dialling *315# or calling 315. The checks are intended to help consumers establish whether devices comply with the commission’s type-approval requirements.

Subscribers experiencing service problems were advised to contact their network providers first, obtain complaint reference numbers and escalate unresolved cases to the NCC through its toll-free line, 622.

The commission also urged communities to report vandalism and suspected theft of telecommunications infrastructure, warning that damaged fibre cables and stolen equipment could disrupt services across multiple communities.

Earlier, NCC Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management Rimini Makama said the Telecom Consumer Parliament should produce practical commitments on reliable connections, transparent billing and timely complaint resolution.

She recalled that participants at the previous edition had raised concerns about network quality, unclear billing, failed transactions and delays in resolving complaints. The commission, she said, would review actions taken to address those concerns.

The planned expansion of TIRMS could strengthen fraud checks as more services rely on phone numbers to verify customers. Its effectiveness, however, will depend on implementation, cooperation between participating organisations and whether the system helps prevent fraud without creating fresh barriers for legitimate subscribers.