NCC orders 14-day notice before SIM deactivation

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has mandated telecommunications company to issue a minimum of 14 days’ notice before deactivating inactive SIM cards.

This development is geared towards strengthening consumer protection and fraud prevention in the telecoms sector.

The measure forms part of a broader regulatory review linked to the planned rollout of the Telecoms Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), a new cross-sector platform aimed at tackling fraud associated with recycled, swapped, or barred mobile numbers.

In a consultation paper published in February 2026 and titled Stakeholders Consultation Process for the Telecoms Identity Risks Management Platform, the Commission proposed amendments to its Quality-of-Service (QoS) Business Rules that would formalise advance notification requirements for both prepaid and post-paid subscribers.

The document, dated February 26, 2026, and published on the industry regulator’s website on Tuesday was signed by the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida.

It underscored the regulator’s renewed focus on balancing consumer protection with systemic risk management in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving telecommunications landscape.

Under the proposed framework, telecom operators must notify post-paid subscribers of impending churn — the deactivation of a line — via an alternative phone number or email at least 14 days before the final action is taken. A similar obligation would apply to prepaid customers.

The proposed rule introduces a layer of transparency into a process that has long been governed by inactivity thresholds.

Currently, under Section 2.3.1 of the QoS Business Rules, a subscriber’s line may be deactivated after six months without a revenue-generating event.

If the inactivity persists for another six months, the number may be permanently withdrawn, except in cases involving network-related faults.

Beyond customer notification, the Commission is also seeking to tighten oversight of the churn process itself.

Operators would be required to submit details of all churned numbers to the Telecoms Identity Risks Management System within seven days of completing the process.

According to the regulator, TIRMS will function as a secure, regulatory-backed platform designed to prevent fraud linked to compromised Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Numbers (MSISDNs).

By providing a unified framework for managing the integrity and utilisation of registered mobile numbers across sectors, the system is expected to enhance trust in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

The consultation aligns with Section 58 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, which mandates stakeholder engagement before major regulatory changes are finalised.

Babajide Okeowo