Nigeria’s telecom regulator, the NCC, will begin reassigning inactive phone numbers after 365 days as part of new efforts to enhance digital security.
The policy, rolling out in late 2025, aims to tackle identity theft, prevent fraud, and optimize the country’s limited telecom numbering resources.
In a strategic move to enhance digital security and reduce telecom-related fraud, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled an updated policy that will allow inactive phone numbers to be reassigned to new users after 365 days of dormancy.
This development is part of the commission’s revised Telecom Identity Risk Management Policy (TIRMP) and is set to roll out in the fourth quarter of 2025. The initiative aims to tackle the growing concerns around phone number recycling and identity misuse in Nigeria’s booming digital economy.
According to a senior NCC official who spoke to Vanguard, the new policy provides a 360-day window, window,180 days of inactivity followed by another 180 days of non-usage in revenue-generating activities like calls, SMS, or data usage, after which a number may be reassigned. The move is backed by the QoS Regulation and Business Rules 2024, which supports the reallocation of idle numbers to maximise numbering efficiency.
To support this policy, the NCC is developing a central data-sharing platform that will track recycled phone numbers and share status updates with relevant institutions, including banks, fintech companies, and security agencies. The platform is being tested in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other stakeholders to ensure smooth integration and effective monitoring.
“Numbering resources like phone numbers and shortcodes are finite and must be carefully managed in line with global standards,” the NCC source explained, citing the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as the benchmark for such regulatory actions.
Recycling numbers, while necessary, come with inherent risks. Past users may still have the phone numbers tied to sensitive accounts such as online banking, social media, and digital wallets. The NCC’s updated framework aims to mitigate these risks by making high-risk or recycled numbers easily identifiable, thus helping service providers flag suspicious transactions and protect end-users from identity theft or fraud.
Beyond fraud prevention, the policy is part of NCC’s broader mission to improve telecom service quality and customer experience. This includes enhancing the journey from SIM card registration to service deactivation and ensuring transparency in policies that affect subscribers.
This policy update follows the commission’s earlier successful implementation of the SIM-NIN linkage directive, another major step in Nigeria’s telecom regulation landscape aimed at improving national security and digital accountability.
Meanwhile, the NCC has debunked allegations of reduced data value from telecom operators. A recent audit conducted in Q3 2024 reportedly found no evidence that telcos had shortchanged customers, reaffirming the regulator’s commitment to consumer protection and fair market practices.
As Nigeria’s digital economy continues to expand, policies like this are crucial in securing the telecom infrastructure that underpins everything from mobile banking to e-commerce and public safety.
