NCC Unveils TIRMS Platform to Strengthen Digital Security, Tackle Fraud
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has launched a new regulatory framework, the Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), aimed at strengthening digital security and curbing fraudulent transactions across Nigeria’s telecoms ecosystem.
The Executive Vice-Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, announced the initiative on Thursday in Abuja during a stakeholder forum on the platform, describing it as a critical response to rising cases of identity-related fraud.
Represented by the Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, Maida noted that mobile phone numbers—technically known as Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Numbers (MSISDNs)—have evolved into key digital identifiers supporting financial transactions, authentication processes, and access to essential services.
According to him, this growing reliance has also exposed significant vulnerabilities within the system.
“The fraudulent use of churned, recycled, swapped and barred MSISDNs has become a major channel for financial fraud and identity theft. This trend is eroding public trust and undermining the integrity of digital systems we have built,” he said.
He explained that the TIRMS platform is a secure, regulatory-backed and cross-sectoral solution designed to provide a unified approach to managing risks associated with mobile number usage across Nigeria’s communications network.
Maida added that the system would enable service providers to verify mobile numbers flagged for suspicious, dormant or fraudulent activities before granting access to services, thereby improving accountability and reducing fraud risks.
“The platform will enhance digital security by ensuring that service providers across sectors can proactively validate the status of customer mobile numbers,” he said.
As part of the rollout, the NCC has proposed amendments to its Quality of Service (QoS) Business Rules and the Registration of Communications Subscribers Regulations to reinforce the implementation of TIRMS.
Under the proposed changes, telecom operators will be required to notify subscribers at least 14 days before their lines are churned, submit details of churned numbers to the TIRMS platform within seven days, and comply with new guidelines for blocking fraudulently registered or misused mobile numbers.
Speaking at the event, the NCC’s Director of Cybersecurity and Internet Governance, Olatokunbo Oyeleye, emphasised the importance of trust in the digital economy.
“Digital trust is the operating licence of the modern economy. Without it, nothing scales, and with it, everything accelerates,” she said.
Oyeleye noted that the TIRMS platform is designed to strengthen collaboration across sectors, enhance identity assurance, and prevent fraud linked to mobile number recycling, swapping, and churn processes.
Industry stakeholders drawn from the telecommunications sector attended the one-day forum, where discussions focused on the operational framework and expected impact of the new system on Nigeria’s digital landscape.
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