The Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Telecommunications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has highlighted the rationale for the introductionof Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), stressing that it was designed to address risks associated with recycled telephone numbers and numbers linked to fraudulent activities.
Speaking in Lagos Tuesday at a Telecom Consumer Parliament to address pressing issues around the telecommunications industry, he stated that the Commission planned to expand the use of TIRMS across all sectors where telephone numbers serve as identifiers, for customers and transactions, relying mainly on its collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The system, according to him, “is expected to help organisations identify recycled telephone numbers and those flagged for fraud, reducing the risk of unauthorised access to individuals’ accounts and services”.
Maida, at the occasion, advised Nigerians to “verify mobile devices before purchasing them”, warning that “counterfeit and substandard phones, batteries and chargers could expose consumers to financial and safety risks”.
Maida advised prospective buyers to dial *315# and follow the prompts, or call 315 for assistance, to confirm a device’s approval and verification status before purchase.
He further urged subscribers experiencing service-related problems to first lodge complaints with their network providers and obtain complaint reference numbers, before escalating such problems to the NCC through its toll-free line, 622.
Earlier, the NCC’s Executive-Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, said the Telecom Consumer Parliament was established to address recurring challenges, including poor network quality, unclear billing, failed transactions and delays in resolving consumer complaints.
She said “the forum was expected to produce practical commitments, assign responsibilities and generate actions that consumers could observe in their everyday use of telecommunications services”.
She added that “reliable connectivity, transparent billing and accessible complaint-resolution mechanisms were essential to building consumer confidence as Nigeria’s digital economy continued to expand”.
Presenting the lead paper, the Executive-Director, Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF), Prof. Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, argued that “the performance of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector should not be measured by subscription figures alone”.
Citing NCC industry statistics for August 2026, she said Nigeria had 197.4 million active telephony subscriptions and 158.5 million internet subscription, but cautioned that subscription figures did not necessarily represent individual users and could not independently establish whether consumers were receiving reliable connectivity, transparent billing or effective complaint resolution.
Ndukwe-Okafor called for the publication of detailed information on network performance, billing disputes, failed transactions and complaint-resolution outcomes.
She proposed a public action register to track commitments made at the Telecom Consumer Parliament, identifying responsible agencies, implementation deadlines and progress.
Other recommendations included standardised, plain-language information on tariffs and data bundles, improved tracking of failed transactions involving banks and telecommunications operators, and more accessible complaint channels for older persons and people living with disabilities.
She further proposed for the NCC to publish an initial consumer-experience progress scorecard within six months, covering service quality, refunds and complaint-resolution outcomes.
Ndukwe-Okafor added that “consumer protection should ultimately be measured by whether complaints were genuinely resolved and appropriate remedies delivered, rather than simply by the number of complaints recorded as closed”.
The 95th Telecom Consumer Parliament ended with stakeholders reaffirming the need for stronger accountability, improved service quality and more effective consumer protection across Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
Beyond airtime refunds, the NCC’s planned data-usage notifications, failed-transaction tracking and expanded telephone identity risk management could strengthen consumer protection. However, sustained progress will depend on measurable improvements in network reliability, transparent billing and timely complaint resolution.
