The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has raised fresh security concerns over the resurgence of call masking in the telecommunications industry.

The Commission warned that the practice could undermine the integrity of communications networks while causing revenue losses to legitimate operators and the government.

The warning followed the 110th meeting of the NCC Governing Board held on September 9, 2026, where members reviewed developments in the telecommunications sector and expressed concern over the return of call masking activities.

Call masking involves disguising an international call as local traffic by making the caller’s international identity appear as a Nigerian number or, in some cases, a shortcode.

The practice enables those behind such calls to avoid the higher international termination rate and pay the lower rate applicable to local calls.

The NCC said the development was particularly troubling because the technology can conceal the true identity and origin of callers, creating opportunities for fraudulent and other unlawful activities.

The Board reiterated the Commission’s zero-tolerance position on call masking, describing it as an unacceptable practice and a serious regulatory concern.”

According to the NCC, the practice goes beyond the commercial interests of telecommunications operators because it can distort industry revenues and weaken the integrity of the wider telecommunications ecosystem.

“Call masking undermines legitimate telecommunications operations and distorts industry revenues. The practice constitutes an act of economic sabotage capable of adversely impacting the national economy,”

The Commission said.

The security concern is linked partly to the ability of masked calls to conceal the actual numbers of communicating parties. Temporary or proxy numbers can be used to prevent the recipient from seeing the caller’s real identity, making it more difficult to trace suspicious communications.

While call masking technology can have legitimate applications, its abuse has been associated with fraud and anonymous communications. It has also been identified as one of the methods that can be exploited by criminal networks seeking to communicate without easily revealing their identities.

The practice has remained a regulatory challenge despite previous sanctions against telecommunications operators linked to call masking-related violations.

With the latest resurgence, the NCC said it would work more closely with security and law-enforcement agencies and other industry stakeholders to identify and stop the activities.

The renewed push is coming as the Commission deploys technology aimed at improving security and trust across Nigeria’s telecommunications ecosystem.

The NCC’s Device Management System (DMS) is now operational and is expected to strengthen compliance with type-approval requirements while helping to prevent the circulation of non-compliant devices.

The system will also support efforts to tackle mobile phone theft by allowing reported stolen devices to be blocked across Nigerian networks.

Another platform, the Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), is scheduled to go live in October 2026.

TIRMS will strengthen the management of telecommunications identities, including mobile numbers, and reduce risks associated with their misuse, reassignment and recycling.

The importance of tighter identity management has grown as mobile numbers have become increasingly linked to financial, social and other digital services.

The NCC said the new regulatory technology platforms would be deployed with attention to consumer protection, lawful digital services, privacy and data protection requirements.

Meanwhile, the Commission reported significant progress in the expansion of telecommunications infrastructure across the country.

Mobile network operators have deployed 8,526 of the 12,179 additional coverage and capacity sites they committed to provide. The figure represents about 70 per cent of the commitment, compared with approximately 5,000 sites reported at the previous Board meeting.

Despite the progress, the NCC noted that fibre cuts contributed to a sharp rise in network disruptions in June.

The development has renewed calls for stronger protection of critical telecommunications infrastructure as operators continue to expand network coverage and capacity.

The Commission is also pushing ahead with plans to improve students’ access to digital learning resources through the zero-rating of educational platforms and content.

The initiative, developed in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education and other stakeholders, was officially launched on September 10, while October 1, 2026 has been set as the Go-Live date.

The NCC said it would continue to pursue regulatory measures aimed at strengthening network resilience, digital trust, consumer protection, fair competition and inclusive connectivity as Nigeria’s digital economy expands.