The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has pledged tougher action against the resurgence of call masking, working with security and law-enforcement agencies and telecommunications industry stakeholders to identify, prevent and eliminate the practice, which the telecoms regulator says threatens industry revenues and amounts to economic sabotage.

The Commission’s Governing Board reiterated its “zero-tolerance position on call masking” at its 110th Board Meeting held on September 9, 2026, expressing concern over the implications of the practice for the integrity, security and orderly development of Nigeria’s telecommunications ecosystem.

The Board said call masking “undermines legitimate telecommunications operations, distorts industry revenues and constitutes an act of economic sabotage capable of adversely impacting the national economy,” in the meeting’s communiqué reviewed by Technology Times.

The NCC’s Governing Board has also reviewed progress on operators’ network expansion commitments, digital trust initiatives, educational zero-rating, the proposed repositioning of the Digital Bridge Institute and renewed call masking activities in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.

Mobile network operators have deployed 8,526 of the 12,179 coverage and capacity sites they committed to roll out across Nigeria, bringing implementation to approximately 70% of the total commitment.

The update was among the major issues considered at the meeting where the Board reviewed strategic priorities, operational performance and market developments contained in the Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer’s report, alongside key regulatory and industry matters.

Mobile network operators have deployed 8,526 of the 12,179 coverage and capacity sites they committed to roll out across Nigeria, bringing implementation to approximately 70% of the total commitment.

The latest deployment figure represents a significant acceleration from the approximately 5,000 sites reported at the Board’s previous meeting. On the figures contained in the communiqué, operators have added roughly 3,526 sites since that update, although the earlier figure was described as approximately 5,000.

The Board, however, linked recent network disruption to infrastructure protection challenges, noting that fibre cuts contributed to a sharp rise in network disruptions in June.

It therefore stressed that expanding network infrastructure must be accompanied by stronger protection of critical communications infrastructure, placing network resilience and service reliability alongside coverage and capacity as continuing priorities for the telecommunications sector.

The development is significant because the deployment commitment is intended to address the persistent need for wider coverage, greater network capacity and improved Quality of Experience for telecommunications users. The Board’s latest assessment suggests that operators have completed the majority of the commitments communicated previously, while also highlighting the vulnerability of network infrastructure to physical damage.

The Board said the focus must continue to include “network resilience and service reliability”, indicating that additional infrastructure alone will not resolve service disruptions if critical components of the communications network remain exposed to damage.

NCC pushes technology-led digital trust measures

The Board also reviewed the Commission’s deployment of technology platforms designed to strengthen trust, security and integrity across the telecommunications ecosystem and the wider digital economy.

One of the platforms highlighted at the meeting was the Device Management System, DMS, which the Board noted is now live.

According to the communiqué, the DMS is supporting enhanced compliance with the Commission’s type approval requirements through technology. Type approval is the regulatory process through which telecommunications devices are assessed for compliance before they can be used or marketed within the Nigerian telecommunications ecosystem.

The Commission expects the DMS to strengthen its ability to verify device compliance and discourage the circulation of non-compliant devices.

The system is also expected to support efforts against mobile device theft. The Board noted that the technology will enable reported stolen devices to be blocked across Nigerian networks, creating a mechanism for preventing such devices from continuing to operate on telecommunications networks.

The emphasis on device management comes as telecommunications devices increasingly form part of the infrastructure through which Nigerians access financial services, social platforms, government services and other digital products.

The Board went further by identifying economic implications, stating that call masking “undermines legitimate telecommunications operations, distorts industry revenues and constitutes an act of economic sabotage capable of adversely impacting the national economy.” The strong language indicates that the NCC is treating the resurgence not merely as a technical telecommunications issue but as a matter with implications for industry revenues, market integrity and the broader economy.

The Board also considered the Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System, TIRMS, another technology-led regulatory initiative that is scheduled to go live in October 2026.

TIRMS, together with its associated business rules, is intended to strengthen the governance of telecommunications identities, including mobile numbers.

The Board said the system will address risks associated with the “misuse, reassignment or recycling” of telecommunications identities, particularly as mobile numbers become increasingly connected to financial, social and other digital services.

The issue extends beyond the ownership of a telephone number because a mobile identity can increasingly serve as a gateway to banking, payments, social media accounts, digital platforms and other services.

A reassigned or recycled number can therefore create risks if associated digital identities are not appropriately managed.

The Board consequently stressed that deployment of both DMS and TIRMS must balance regulatory objectives with consumer rights and legal obligations.

It reaffirmed the importance of implementing the regulatory technology platforms in a manner that “protects consumers, supports lawful digital services, strengthens market integrity” and complies with applicable legal, privacy and data protection requirements.

That position places privacy and data protection alongside security and regulatory enforcement as considerations in the Commission’s digitalisation of telecommunications oversight.

Educational platforms set for zero-rating

The Board also reviewed progress towards a framework for zero-rating educational platforms and content in Nigeria.

The initiative, which is being developed through engagement between NCC, telecommunications industry players and other stakeholders, is intended to reduce barriers to accessing selected educational resources online.

The Board said the objective is to promote digital inclusion and improve access to educational resources for students.

It also commended the collaboration of the Federal Ministry of Education and other stakeholders in advancing the initiative.

According to the Board, the initiative was scheduled for official launch on September 10, 2026, one day after the Board meeting, with the go-live date set for October 1, 2026.

The distinction between the launch and go-live dates suggests a two-stage process: formal introduction of the initiative followed by implementation of the zero-rating framework from October.

The Board also said it would monitor the initiative to ensure that implementation remains sustainable.

For Nigeria’s education sector, the proposed zero-rating framework is significant because the cost of mobile data remains a consideration in how students access online learning materials and platforms. By removing data charges on qualifying educational content or platforms, the initiative is designed to expand access without requiring students to bear the full cost of the associated data consumption.

The communiqué, however, does not specify the platforms or content that will be covered, nor does it provide details of the commercial framework between operators and participating education stakeholders.

Those implementation details will therefore be important as the initiative moves towards the October 1 go-live date.

NCC considers restructuring Digital Bridge Institute

The Board also turned its attention to the future of the Digital Bridge Institute, DBI, an institution associated with the NCC and focused on digital skills and capacity development.

It considered a report and recommendations on the strategic repositioning of DBI, including the development of a roadmap aimed at strengthening the institute’s relevance and long-term sustainability.

Rather than approving an immediate restructuring model, the Board noted a proposed phased approach to the repositioning exercise.

A key element of that approach is the engagement of two independent consultancies, each with a distinct mandate.

The first consultancy will conduct a comprehensive assessment covering DBI’s:

• structure;
• operations;
• human resources; and
• institutional position.

The second consultancy will examine the commercial and legal viability of the proposed repositioning initiative.

The two-track assessment means that the Commission intends to examine both the institutional condition of DBI and the feasibility of the proposed future model before proceeding with the repositioning.

The communiqué does not disclose the names of the consultants, the proposed new commercial model, the financial targets for DBI or a completion date for the exercise.

However, the Board’s decision to commission separate institutional and commercial/legal assessments points to an attempt to establish the operational and institutional facts before determining how the institute should be repositioned for longer-term relevance and sustainability.

NCC declares zero tolerance for call masking

One of the more forceful regulatory positions emerging from the meeting concerns the resurgence of call masking activities in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.

The Board expressed concern about the implications of call masking for the integrity, security and orderly development of the telecommunications ecosystem.

It reiterated the Commission’s “zero-tolerance position on call masking”, describing the practice as unacceptable and a serious regulatory concern.

The Board went further by identifying economic implications, stating that call masking “undermines legitimate telecommunications operations, distorts industry revenues and constitutes an act of economic sabotage capable of adversely impacting the national economy.”

The strong language indicates that the NCC is treating the resurgence not merely as a technical telecommunications issue but as a matter with implications for industry revenues, market integrity and the broader economy.

The Board resolved that the Commission would work with relevant security and law-enforcement agencies and industry stakeholders to identify, prevent and eliminate call masking activities.

This collaborative approach is expected to combine regulatory intervention by the NCC with enforcement capabilities available to security and law-enforcement bodies, while involving telecommunications operators and other industry participants.

The communiqué does not provide figures on the scale of the resurgence, the number of affected lines or operators, the revenue impact or specific enforcement cases arising from the latest activity.

Network expansion meets infrastructure protection challenge

Taken together, the Board’s deliberations point to a telecommunications regulatory agenda that extends beyond simply increasing the number of connected Nigerians.

The 8,526 deployed sites out of 12,179 commitments show substantial progress in the industry’s infrastructure expansion programme, but the Board’s reference to fibre cuts and June network disruptions highlights a parallel challenge: ensuring that existing and newly deployed infrastructure remains operational.

The approximately 70% deployment rate therefore represents both progress and a remaining workload of roughly 3,653 sites based on the total commitment reported by the NCC.

At the same time, the deployment of DMS and planned introduction of TIRMS indicate a shift towards greater use of technology in regulatory enforcement.

DMS is focused on devices and type approval, including the ability to block reported stolen devices, while TIRMS is intended to strengthen management of telecommunications identities and reduce risks associated with the misuse and recycling of mobile numbers.

The Board’s position that these systems must comply with legal, privacy and data protection requirements also reflects the increasingly interconnected nature of telecommunications regulation with Nigeria’s wider digital economy.

Digital inclusion, institutional reform and enforcement

The Board meeting also linked telecommunications regulation to broader digital development through its review of educational zero-rating and the proposed repositioning of DBI.

The educational initiative is designed to improve access to digital learning resources, while the DBI exercise is intended to establish a roadmap for strengthening the institute’s relevance and sustainability.

These measures sit alongside a more enforcement-oriented response to call masking and the Commission’s technology-driven approach to device and identity management.

The resulting regulatory agenda spans four broad areas: network resilience, digital trust and security, digital inclusion, and market integrity.

The Board ended the meeting by committing the Commission to continued transparency and regulatory actions aimed at supporting “network resilience, digital trust, inclusive connectivity, consumer protection, fair competition and the sustainable growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.”

The resolutions from the 110th meeting consequently leave several implementation milestones ahead: completion of the remaining operator infrastructure commitments; stronger protection of communications infrastructure against fibre cuts; deployment of TIRMS in October; implementation of the educational zero-rating framework from October 1; further work on DBI’s strategic repositioning; and intensified action against call masking.

For consumers and businesses, the immediate impact will depend less on the resolutions themselves than on how these commitments translate into network availability, service reliability, safer telecommunications identities, wider access to digital learning and stronger enforcement across the industry.

The Board’s latest meeting therefore presents a picture of a telecommunications regulator balancing rapid infrastructure expansion with resilience, technology-enabled oversight with privacy safeguards, digital inclusion with sustainable implementation, and industry growth with tougher enforcement.