Should the new plan by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) scale through, telecom operators may only be able to deactivate dormant Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards after issuing a minimum 14-day notice to affected subscribers.

The NCC announced this in a document, ‘Stakeholders Consultation Process for the Telecoms Identity Risks Management Platform’. The development forms part of the processes of repositioning the telecom sector for efficiency, especially telephony services targeted at improved quality of experience.

The Guardian checks showed that while operators have connected over 300 million telephone lines since the telecoms revolution started nearly two and a half decades ago, as of December 2025, there were 179.6 million active telephone users with 82.87 per cent teledensity.

Under the proposed amendment to the Quality-of-Service Business Rules, NCC stated that “prior to churning of a post-paid line, the Operator shall send a notification to the affected subscriber through an alternative line or an email on the pending churning of his line.”

It added that the notification “shall be sent at least 14 days before the final date for the churn of the number.” A similar provision was introduced for prepaid subscribers.

In the eight-pages document, signed by signed by the Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Dr Aminu Maida: “prior to churning of a pre-paid line, the Operator shall send a notification to the affected subscriber through an alternative line or an email on the pending churning of his line,” stressing again that the notice must be issued “at least 14 days before the final date for the churn of the number.”

Currently, Section 2.3.1 of the QoS Business Rules allows a subscriber line to be deactivated if it has not been used for a revenue-generating event within six months.
If inactivity persists for another six months, the subscriber may lose the number, except in cases of network-related faults.

It should be noted that the proposed amendment does not alter the six-month inactivity threshold but introduces a mandatory advance notification requirement before final churn, tightening consumer protection safeguards.

Beyond notification, the Commission is also seeking to strengthen data reporting obligations. Under a new provision in Section 2.3.2, “An Operator shall submit details of all churn numbers to the Telecoms Identity Risks Management System (TIRMS) within seven days of completion of the churn process.”

The regulatory adjustments form part of preparations for the TIRMS platform, described in the document as “a secure, regulatory-backed Platform that helps prevent fraud stemming from churned, swapped, barred Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDNs) in Nigeria.”

NCC explained that the system is designed to provide a uniform, cross-sector approach to verifying the integrity and status of mobile numbers across the Nigerian communications network.

It is expected to support regulators such as the Central Bank of Nigeria and other agencies in tackling identity-related fraud risks linked to recycled and dormant SIMs.

The consultation process, initiated in line with Section 58 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, is open for 21 days from the date of publication (February 26, 2026). Stakeholders are required to submit comments on or before March 20, 2026.