Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has launched the Telecoms Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS) to enhance digital security and fight telecom fraud.
Dr Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman, represented by Executive Commissioner Rimini Makama at an Abuja stakeholders' forum, stressed mobile numbers (MSISDNs) as vital for banking, authentication, and services—but vulnerable to misuse via recycled, churned, or barred SIMs.
"The TIRMS Platform is a secure, regulatory-backed, cross-sectoral solution... to provide a uniform approach for managing risks relating to the integrity and utilisation of registered MSISDNs," Maida said.
Objectives include better MSISDN access for accountability, fraud checks on dormant/suspicious numbers before service access, and proactive verification across sectors.
Proposed rules mandate 14-day churn notices, seven-day data submission to TIRMS, and blocking of fraudulent lines. Success hinges on telecoms, banks, security agencies, and others.
Maida highlighted NCC's collaborative rulemaking for a "One Government" approach.
Cybersecurity Director Olatokunbo Oyeleye called digital trust an "operating licence" for growth: "Every mobile number in Nigeria [must] be trusted... TIRMS will safeguard users, reduce fraud, and reinforce confidence in our digital economy."
TIRMS bridges gaps with CBN, NIMC, CAC, SEC, and PENCOM, aiming to cut fraud and boost trust.
