Telecom
NCC Puts Losses to Call Masking, SIM Boxing @ $3Bn

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has disclosed that the sector loses about $3billion in revenue occasioned by call masking/refiling and SIM boxing.
Prof. Garba Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman of the Commission, said that “SIM boxing or Interconnect By-pass Fraud (IBF) is one of the most prevalent frauds in the telecom industry today and it is estimated to be costing the industry $3 billion in lost revenue,” Danbatta disclosed.
Themed “Overcoming the Challenges of Call Masking/Refiling: Task Ahead for the Telecoms Industry”, Danbatta stated that the topic of the meeting was carefully chosen to brainstorm on the menace of call masking/refining and SIM boxing, their dangers to the industry and how the menace can be curbed.
Danbatta who was represented by represented by Felicia Onwuegbuchulam, director, consumer affairs at t the 85th Edition of the Telecom Consumer Parliament (TCP) in Lagos, said that call masking is a worrisome development that constitutes serious challenges not only to the telecoms industry, but also poses serious security threats to the entire country.
The EVC went further to explain that “Call masking/refiling basically happens when an international call is terminated in Nigeria as a local number and the perpetrators have ulterior motive of profiting from price differentials between international and local calls.”
Further Danbatta said “As a commission, we have discovered that call masking is being perpetrated with small movable devices called SIM boxes, which are electronic boxes loaded with SIM numbers.
“A SIM box has capacity to receive and transmit calls undetected.
“However, the challenge is that these SIM boxes are never type-approved by the commission, a clear indication that they are being used illegally in the country.”
Speaking on the origin of Call Masking Danbatta said “Our findings have shown that masking of calls with another number, especially international calls, start trending since September 2016 when NCC reviewed and implemented the termination rate for international inbound traffic from N3.90/min to N24.40/min.
“So what is happening is a clear indication that some unscrupulous elements want to continue to fraudulently profit from the earlier lopsidedness in the International Termination Rate (ITR) which we had before the 2016 review.”
Danbatta said that as part of zero tolerance for ‘communications fraud’ in the market and the determination of the commission to stamp out the practice in the industry, the NCC in collaboration with different stakeholders and security agencies, held series of meetings which led to the suspension of six indicted interconnect exchange licensees in February, 2018.
“Not only did the commission suspend the indicted licensees, the regulator also barred about 750,000 numbers assigned to 13 operators from the national network.
“These numbers were suspected of being used for masking and NCC took a hard uncompromising stance to withdraw their use,” Danbatta stated.
Although he said despite these regulatory actions, masking of calls has persisted as telecoms consumers continue to express outrage over call masking much as security agencies constantly put pressures on the Commission to find lasting solutions to the menace.
Danbatta said, specifically, concerns have been expressed on several occasions by the office of the National Security Adviser, the National Intelligence Agency, Department of State Services (DSS) as well as Committees of the House of Representatives.
He said based on the attendant security and economic implications as well as anti-competition dimension of call masking in the telecoms industry, “We advise consumers to be patriotic enough to report call masking case to the NCC.
“Such feedback will go a long way in assisting the commission to investigate the call masking cases reported, identify the perpetrators and subsequently take appropriate regulatory measures towards curbing the call masking menace.
“As a responsible tell communications regulatory agency, I am happy to inform you that the NCC is actively taking concrete steps towards addressing the issue of call masking, call refilling and SIM boxing.
“In the meantime, some of the measures being taken by the commission include, working on issuance of Direction to MNOs to explore every technical means not to allow their networks to be used for call masking and SMS boxing activities.
“Creating awareness on call masking through different social platforms and via our various outreach programmes to educate consumers and encourage them to report cases experienced call masking to the commission for investigation and necessary enforcement actions, among other measures.
Telecom
9mobile Nigeria Inks Agreement to Roam with MTN

9mobile, Nigerian operator, has reportedly gained approval for roaming on the MTN Nigeria network in a deal that some commentators suggest could improve its position in the market and, more specifically, tempt back lost subscribers.
After finally gaining regulatory approval from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), 9mobile plans to launch national roaming services on the MTN network from this month.
Under the agreement, 9mobile subscribers will gain access to MTN’s infrastructure for calls, texts and data in areas where 9mobile’s coverage is weak or unavailable.
For 9mobile, the deal offers a cost-effective way to expand coverage without the heavy investment required for nationwide infrastructure.
According to ITWeb Africa, the decision comes nearly five years after initial discussions – much longer than expected due, the Techloy news service said, to regulatory bottlenecks, shifting market conditions, and unclear execution timelines.
It may, however, prove pivotal for 9mobile, whose market share has dwindled to 1.72% in April 2025, down from 6.6% in 2020 when the proposal was first submitted. Indeed, in 2015 the company once known as Etisalat Nigeria had over 23 million subscribers and a 15.7% market share.
Of course, there’s also something in this for MTN. In exchange for network access, MTN gains utilisation rights to 9mobile’s underused spectrum in the 900MHz, 1800MHz, and 2100MHz bands – key frequencies for expanding coverage and improving data capacity.
For MTN, which serves over 84 million subscribers, this additional spectrum could reduce congestion and improve service quality.
The company has also had financial difficulties in the Nigerian market due to the naira’s substantial depreciation; this deal could support better service provision at a reduced cost.
That said, MTN Nigeria’s results for the first quarter to March 31 2025 were apparently much improved, and the company recently announced a massive capital expenditure drive for 2025 of some NGN900 billion (US$568.5 million) as it seeks to significantly enhance network service quality in major cities like Lagos and Abuja and extend improvements to other areas.
Telecom
Banks, Telcos to Start Deducting USSD Charges from Airtime Today

Banks and telecom companies will begin deducting USSD banking charges directly from customers’ airtime instead of their bank accounts beginning from today, June 3.
USSD, otherwise Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, is a communications protocol used by GSM cellular telephones to interact with a mobile network operator’s computers.
First City Monument Bank (FCMB) announced this change in an e-mail message to customers, following a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Key details:
Each USSD session will cost ₦6.98 per 120 seconds, charged by your mobile network.
You will be asked to approve the charge before it’s deducted from your airtime.
If you prefer, you can use other banking channels like ATMs, mobile apps, or internet banking.
This change is part of a move to end the long-standing debt dispute between banks and telecoms over unpaid USSD fees.
As of late 2024, banks owed telecom companies ₦160 billion. For example, MTN was owed ₦42 billion by Nigerian banks.
By shifting USSD fees to customers’ airtime, the telcos aim to recover these debts and avoid future issues.
Telecom
IHS Nigeria Moves to Enhance G4S Secure Solutions Site Patrols and Increase Operational Efficiency with Patrol Vehicles

IHS Nigeria, a subsidiary of IHS Holding Limited and one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared telecommunications infrastructure in the world by tower count, has formally commissioned 65 Response, Patrol, and Escort (RPE) vehicles to G4S Secure Solutions Nigeria Limited, its long-standing security partner.
The commissioning ceremony which held in Ikeja GRA, Lagos, underscores IHS Nigeria’s commitment to operational excellence, safety, and strategic partnerships.
The fully equipped vehicles, customized with radio systems, public address systems, medical kits, ladders, and amber lights, are expected to significantly enhance G4S’s patrol capabilities and enable proactive risk mitigation across IHS Nigeria’s infrastructure footprint in the country.
Speaking at the event, Jubril Saba, Vice President, Operations at IHS Nigeria, remarked: “IHS Nigeria is delighted to formally hand over these Response, Patrol and Escort (RPE) vehicles to our valued security partner, G4S Secure Solutions Nigeria Limited. As a company, we recognize that the success of our operations lies not only in our technology and infrastructure but also in the strength of the partnerships we build and sustain.
G4S has been an essential partner in protecting our sites, supporting our teams, and ensuring operational continuity across the country. This initiative is more than just a commissioning of vehicles; it is a reaffirmation of our commitment to the safety of our people and assets, our drive for operational excellence, and our belief in strong partnerships.
We understand that securing our infrastructure and communities is critical to sustaining high-quality services nationwide, and we are confident this fleet will enhance G4S’s capacity to support us.”
Also speaking at the event, Jonas Ahl, Managing Director of G4S Secure Solutions Nigeria Limited, expressed his appreciation for the partnership:
“We are proud to receive these 65 custom-built patrol vehicles from IHS Nigeria. Each unit is fully outfitted to meet the specific security needs of our operations, equipped with communication systems, emergency response tools, and visibility-enhancing features. These vehicles will not only improve our response times and field presence but also enable us to reduce risk and deter criminal activity more effectively.
I would like to thank the IHS team for their excellent collaboration throughout this project. We are proud to serve IHS and remain committed to protecting the assets that power connectivity across Nigeria.”
This strategic gesture reinforces IHS Nigeria’s position as a socially responsible and security-conscious industry leader, while highlighting the value of operational synergy with trusted partners like G4S.
The deployment of these vehicles marks another milestone in IHS’s mission to secure its infrastructure and deliver uninterrupted service to millions of users across the country.
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