BY TOLU AKINWALE—The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), have joined force to eliminate electronic fraud, particularly incidents linked to Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards, as both regulators plans to improve security across Nigeria’s telecommunications and financial services sectors.
The partnership, was finalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), focuses on safeguarding digital transactions, strengthening fraud detection and improving protection for consumers who depend on electronic platforms for financial services.
A major component of the initiative involves extending the application of the NCC’s Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS) to industries that use telephone numbers to verify customers and authorise transactions.
Speaking at the 95th Telecom Consumer Parliament in Lagos, the Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said the Commission planned to broaden the system’s reach beyond telecommunications in collaboration with the CBN.
According to Maida, the platform would enable organisations to identify telephone numbers that have been recycled or associated with suspected fraudulent activities, helping to minimise the risk of unauthorised access to bank accounts and other digital services.
He explained that telephone numbers have become an important component of digital identification, as Nigerians increasingly depend on them to access banking services, manage pension accounts and conduct online shopping.
The Commission’s plan to extend TIRMS to other sectors is therefore aimed at addressing security vulnerabilities that may arise when telephone numbers are reassigned or linked to fraudulent activities.
While efforts to strengthen digital payment security took centre stage, participants at the forum also highlighted persistent challenges affecting telecommunications consumers, including poor network performance, billing concerns and limited access to customer support.
Prof. Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, Executive Director of the Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF), called on the NCC to make telecommunications Quality of Service (QoS) information available at street and community levels.
She said publishing more detailed network performance data would help expose recurring service disruptions and enable subscribers to make better-informed decisions.
Ndukwe-Okafor also expressed concern that 36 per cent of telecommunications subscriptions remained on 2G networks, warning that customer service systems built primarily around smartphone applications could leave some users behind.
To illustrate the impact of persistent network problems, she cited the case of an 87-year-old subscriber whose calls reportedly dropped when he moved from one part of his bedroom to another. She said the problem had continued for two years.
The CADEF executive director further called for clearer information on tariffs, data consumption, automatic renewals and deductions. She also advocated defined timelines for reversing failed airtime and data transactions.
She urged the Commission to simplify complaint resolution so subscribers would not have to move between network operators, the NCC and other consumer protection agencies to obtain assistance.
Ndukwe-Okafor also called for prompt communication about service outages, accessible complaint channels for people with disabilities and consumers without smartphones, and effective remedies for complaints recorded as resolved.
Also speaking at the Lagos forum, the NCC’s Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Ms. Rimini Makama, urged telecommunications operators and other industry participants to demonstrate practical commitment to better service delivery, transparent billing and consumer protection.
Makama noted that dependable telecommunications services had become increasingly important to Nigerians as digital activities expanded across different areas of daily life.
She highlighted the effects of network performance on small business owners waiting for payment confirmations, students participating in online lessons and families using telecommunications services to remain connected.
The discussions at the 95th Telecom Consumer Parliament underscored the need to address both digital financial security and persistent service delivery concerns as Nigeria’s telecommunications and financial sectors become increasingly interconnected.
Through its collaboration with the CBN, the NCC is seeking to strengthen safeguards against fraud involving telephone identities, while concerns raised by consumer advocates point to the continued importance of reliable networks, transparent charges and accessible complaint resolution mechanisms.
