New NCC Policy to Recycle Dormant Phone Lines in 365 Days

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is reportedly set to launch a fresh regulatory policy that allows inactive phone lines to be recycled after 365 days. This move is part of a broader effort to tighten telecom identity risk management and improve service quality for users nationwide.

Known as the Telecom Identity Risk Management Policy (TIRMP), this updated framework creates a national platform that monitors and flags phone numbers that are either dormant or linked to suspicious activities. Sources close to the NCC told Vanguard that the rollout is expected in the fourth quarter of the year.

According to these sources, the new policy supports the Commission’s Strategic Vision Plan to enhance customer experience across all telecom touchpoints—from onboarding to offboarding. The framework will also serve as a data-sharing channel for multiple sectors to prevent identity misuse when phone numbers change hands.

What Happens When a SIM Goes Silent?

Under the proposed policy, any line that fails to generate revenue—through calls, SMS, USSD charges or data—for over 180 days is marked inactive. If this inactivity extends for another 180 days, totalling 360 days, the line becomes eligible for reassignment.

“The QoS Regulation and Business Rules 2024 provides that after 365 days without any Revenue Generating Event carried out on a line it can be churned by the operator,” an insider explained.

The implication is that Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), who lease numbers from the NCC, will be permitted to reassign these lines. The NCC emphasised that this step is vital due to the limited availability of numbering resources.

These resources are governed internationally by the ITU’s Recommendation E.164, which ensures number allocation is efficient and fair across borders. In Nigeria, the NCC is responsible for assigning these resources in a manner that protects consumers, encourages competition and promotes technological innovation.

However, recycled lines have been known to cause issues when former users still have the numbers linked to digital or financial services.

“It presents issues of security and integrity of phone number ownership,” a note on the NCC website states.

Better Protection for Users and Services

By using this revamped policy, the NCC aims to support proactive fraud detection across financial and digital platforms. Mobile operators, banks, and digital service providers will have access to data on churned and flagged numbers to ensure safer operations.

“The NCC will host the platform and establish its regulatory and operational framework. We are currently working with the CBN, security agencies, and other key stakeholders, with a beta solution already being tested,” another source revealed.