The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced plans to roll out a new regulatory platform, the Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), aimed at tackling SIM-related fraud and bolstering trust in Nigeria’s digital economy.
The announcement was made by Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, during a stakeholder forum in Abuja. According to Maida, TIRMS is being introduced in response to the growing cases of fraud involving mobile phone numbers, which have become critical identifiers in financial transactions, digital authentication, and access to essential services.
“The fraudulent use of churned, recycled, swapped, and barred SIMs has become a significant driver of financial fraud and identity theft,” Maida said. “This is eroding public trust in digital platforms and weakening identity systems across sectors. TIRMS is our direct response to these challenges.”
How TIRMS Will Work
The NCC explained that TIRMS is a secure, regulatory-backed system designed to manage risks associated with mobile number usage across Nigeria’s telecommunications networks. The platform will:
Allow service providers to verify mobile numbers linked to suspicious, dormant, or fraudulent activity
Improve accountability for mobile number usage
Reduce fraud risks before granting access to services
Strengthen digital security through cross-sector verification
The system will also enable institutions to validate the status of customer mobile numbers before completing transactions or granting access, ensuring a proactive approach to fraud prevention.
To support TIRMS, the NCC is proposing regulatory changes, including amendments to its Quality of Service Business Rules and the Registration of Communications Subscribers framework. Telecom operators will be required to notify subscribers at least 14 days before a line is churned and submit churned number details to the TIRMS platform within seven days. The framework will also allow for blocking fraudulently registered or misused mobile numbers.
Strengthening Digital Trust
At the forum, Olatokunbo Oyeleye, Director of Cybersecurity and Internet Governance at NCC, stressed that trust is vital to the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.
“Digital trust is the operating licence of the modern economy. Without it, nothing scales, and with it, everything accelerates,” Oyeleye said.
She highlighted that TIRMS will improve coordination across sectors, strengthen identity assurance, and prevent fraud linked to recycled or compromised SIMs.
Rising Concerns Over SIM Fraud
The initiative comes amid growing concerns about SIM-related fraud in Nigeria, particularly involving recycled, inactive, or compromised numbers. Data from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) showed 67,518 digital payment fraud cases in 2025, with losses totaling N25.85 billion. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has also flagged SIM-swap fraud, insider compromise, and Authorized Push Payment (APP) scams as emerging threats to the digital payment ecosystem.
With mobile numbers now serving as gateways to banking, fintech, and government services, the NCC’s TIRMS platform is a critical step toward reducing fraud and strengthening trust in Nigeria’s digital economy.
