The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Thursday began consultations with stakeholders on frameworks for the blockage of fraudulently registered Subscriber Identity Modules (SIM) numbers by telecom operators in the country.
The Commission said the move became necessary to unite industry experts, security agencies, financial sector regulators, government agencies, consumers, and concerned citizens in building a safer and more trustworthy digital communications ecosystem.
According to the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Wada Maida, the Commission initiated the Stakeholders Consultative process on the Telecoms Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS) Platform to address challenges associated with the usage of SIM by subscribers.
Addressing participants at the NCC headquarters in Abuja during the Stakeholders Engagement, Dr. Maida said there is an urgent need to strengthen the regulatory foundation for SIM usage, as the evolution of SIM has brought about new challenges and vulnerabilities in the industry.
Dr. Maida was represented at the event by the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, Ms. Rimini Makama.
Dr Maida said, “The Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN), commonly known as the SIM or mobile phone number, has evolved into a critical identifier underpinning financial transactions, digital authentication, and access to essential services across all sectors of our economy.
This evolution, however, has created new and challenging vulnerabilities. The fraudulent use of churned, recycled, swapped, and barred MISISDN’s has become a significant vector for financial fraud and identity theft, eroding public trust in our digital platforms and undermining the identity of systems we have worked hard to build.”
He said the TIRMS platform was created to address the challenges, stressing that it is a secure platform supported with regulatory mechanisms to provide a uniform approach for managing all risks relating to the integrity and utilization of registered SIM numbers
