The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has proposed a minimum 14-day notice for telecom subscribers before their SIM cards are deactivated due to inactivity or post-paid churn.
The recommendation is part of a consultation paper titled Stakeholders Consultation Process for the Telecoms Identity Risks Management Platform, dated February 2026, and published on the NCC website.
Under the proposed changes to the Quality-of-Service (QoS) Business Rules, operators would be required to alert affected subscribers through an alternative phone line or email prior to churning their numbers.
“This notification shall be sent at least 14 days before the final date for the churn of the number,” the document stated.
The same rules would apply to prepaid lines. Currently, under Section 2.3.1 of the QoS Business Rules, subscriber lines may be deactivated if unused for six months, with permanent number loss after another six months of inactivity, except in cases of network-related faults.
The NCC also outlined that operators must submit churn data to the new Telecoms Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS) within seven days of completing the churn process.
The platform aims to prevent fraud linked to recycled, swapped, or barred mobile numbers.
“In line with Section 58 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, this consultation process will run for 21 days, allowing stakeholders to submit feedback on or before March 20, 2026,” the paper added.
Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, signed the document, highlighting the importance of TIRMS in ensuring the integrity and proper use of registered mobile numbers across Nigeria.
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