By Bassey Udo
The Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has expressed concern over the resurgence of call masking activities within the telecommunications industry.
Rising from its 110th meeting on September 9, 2026 in Abuja, the Board described the practice as unacceptable, as it has serious implications on the integrity, security and orderly development of the country’s telecommunications ecosystem.
Reiterating the Commission’s zero-tolerance position on call masking, the Board said apart from constituting a serious regulatory concern, the practice undermines legitimate telecommunications operations, distorts industry revenues and constitutes an act of economic sabotage capable of adversely impacting the national economy.
Call masking is a technology that allows a phone caller to hide his actual phone number while displaying a different virtual or local number on the recipient’s screen.
The Board reaffirmed the Commission’s resolve to collaborate with relevant security and law-enforcement agencies, as well as industry stakeholders, to identify, prevent and eliminate call masking activities.
A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting said the Board also announced that the Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS) and its associated business rules are scheduled to go live next month.
Highlighting the benefits of the system, the Board said apart from strengthening the governance of telecommunications identities, including mobile numbers, it would reduce risks associated with the misuse, reassignment or recycling of such identities, particularly as they are increasingly linked to financial, social and other digital services.
Reaffirming the importance of deploying these regulatory technology platforms to protect consumers, support lawful digital services, and strengthen market integrity, the Board said they remain consistent with applicable legal, privacy and data protection requirements.
On zero-rating educational platforms and content, the Board reviewed the progress made by the NCC in its engagement with industry players and relevant stakeholders towards developing a framework for the country.
The Board noted that the initiative would promote digital inclusion and enhance access to educational resources for students, and commended the Federal Ministry of Education and other stakeholders for their support.
Reaffirming its commitment to monitoring the sustainable implementation of the initiative, which was scheduled for official launchinh on September 10, 2026, the Board said it would Go-Live across the country on October 1, 2026.
During the meeting, the Board received updates on strategic priorities, operational performance and market developments as part of the NCC Executive Vice Chairman/CEO Report and considered key regulatory and industry matters affecting the telecommunications sector.
Some of the resolutions at the end of deliberations were on Infrastructure Expansion Commitments by Operators
noted in the Board’s earlier public communication arising from its previous meeting regarding the commitment by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to deploy additional infrastructure towards expanding network coverage, capacity and Quality of Experience.
During the meeting, the Board noted that 8,526 out of the 12,179 committed coverage and capacity sites have now been deployed across the country, representing approximately 70% of the communicated commitments and reflecting accelerated progress from the approximately 5,000 sites reported at the last meeting.
Despite the progress, the Board however noted that fibre cuts contributed to a sharp rise in network disruptions in June, underscoring the need for infrastructure expansion to be matched by stronger protection of critical communications infrastructure.
Consequently, the Board emphasised the need for continued focus on network resilience and service reliability.
On the need to strengthen digital trust and security in the telecommunications ecosystem, the Board noted the update on the NCC’s deployment of technology platforms to strengthen trust, security and integrity within Nigeria’s telecommunications ecosystem and the broader digital economy.
Acknowledging that the Device Management System (DMS) was now live and supporting enhanced type approval compliance through technology, the Board noted that the DMS would improve the Commission’s ability to verify device compliance, discourage the circulation of non-compliant devices and support efforts to deter mobile device theft by enabling reported stolen devices to be blocked across Nigerian networks.
Other resolutions included strategic repositioning of the Digital Bridge Institute, which the Board, in considering the report and recommendations on the matter, proposed the development of a strategic roadmap to strengthen its relevance and long-term sustainability.
Besides, the Board noted the proposed phased approach to the repositioning exercise and the proposal for two independent consultancies to support the process.
While the first consultancy would undertake a comprehensive audit of DBI’s structure, operations, human resources and institutional position, it said the second would assess the commercial and legal viability of the proposed repositioning initiative.
Restating its commitment to stakeholders, the Board assured that the Commission would continue to promote transparency in its operations and pursue regulatory actions that support network resilience, digital trust, inclusive connectivity, consumer protection, fair competition and the sustainable growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.
