Abuja: The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has introduced the Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), a new regulatory platform designed to strengthen digital security, prevent identity theft, and curb fraudulent transactions nationwide by enabling improved verification of telecommunication users.
Announcing the initiative at a stakeholder forum in Abuja, NCC Executive Vice‑Chairman Dr Aminu Maida said TIRMS will address risks linked to the misuse of mobile numbers, known as MSISDNs, which have become critical identifiers for financial transactions, authentication, and access to essential services.
Represented by Executive Commissioner for Stakeholders Management Ms Rimini Makama, Maida explained that fraudulent practices involving churned, recycled, swapped, and barred SIMs have become major vectors for financial fraud and identity theft. “It is eroding public trust in our digital platforms and undermining the identity systems we have worked hard to build. TIRMS is our direct response to these challenges,” he said.
The platform will enable service providers to verify and validate mobile numbers flagged for dormancy, suspicious activity, or fraud before granting access to services. To reinforce its rollout, NCC has proposed amendments to existing regulations, including mandatory 14‑day notification to subscribers before any line is churned, submission of churned number details to TIRMS within seven days, and a new framework for blocking fraudulently registered or used SIMs.
NCC’s Director of Cybersecurity and Internet Governance, Ms Olatokunbo Oyeleye, emphasised that digital trust is the “operating licence of the modern economy,” stressing that TIRMS will embed identity assurance across the telecoms value chain.
TIRMS aims to boost accountability, reduce fraud risks, and strengthen trust in Nigeria’s digital platforms.
