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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has mandated telecommunications companies to issue a minimum 14-day notice before deactivating inactive SIM cards.
This development is aimed at strengthening consumer protection and fraud prevention in the telecommunications sector.
The move is part of a broader regulatory review related to the planned rollout of the Telecom Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), a new cross-sector platform aimed at tackling fraud related to recycled, swapped or banned mobile phone numbers.
In a consultation paper published in February 2026 and entitled Stakeholder Consultation Process for Telecommunications Identity Risk Management Platforms, the Commission proposed amendments to the Quality of Service (QoS) Business Regulations that would formalize advance notification requirements for prepaid and postpaid customers.
The document, dated 26 February 2026 and published on the industry regulator’s website on Tuesday, was signed by the Commission’s Deputy Executive Chair and Chief Executive, Dr. Aminu Maida.
This underscores the regulator’s new focus on balancing consumer protection with systemic risk management in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving telecommunications landscape.
Under the proposed framework, telecom operators will have to notify postpaid customers about impending churn – line deactivation – via an alternative telephone number or email at least 14 days before final action is taken. Similar obligations also apply to prepaid customers.
This 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 customer channel can be deactivated after six months without a revenue generating event.
If inactivity continues for another six months, the number may be permanently withdrawn, except in cases involving network-related errors.
In addition to customer notifications, the Commission is also seeking to tighten oversight of the churn process itself.
Operators will be required to submit details of all transferred numbers to the Telecom Identity Risk Management System within seven days of completing the process.
