Lawmakers advocate for temporary 18-month hold on reassigning inactive phone numbers

n n

By Gift Chapi Odekina, Abuja

n

The House of Representatives on Tuesday called on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to extend the validity period for inactive phone numbers before they are reassigned to new users to 18 months.

n

Lawmakers said the proposed extension from the current timeline would enhance compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, while shielding citizens from fraud, identity theft, and wrongful criminal implications associated with recycled SIM cards.

n

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion moved by the lawmaker representing Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode Federal Constituency of Edo State, Billy Osawaru, during plenary.

n

In his presentation, Osawaru proposed an additional six-month buffer, within which telecom operators would publicly announce SIM cards slated for reassignment in national newspapers and notify law enforcement agencies once or twice annually.

n

According to him, such measures would promote transparency and assist security agencies in addressing cases of fraud or criminal activities linked to reassigned phone numbers.

n

“The House is aware that the Nigerian Communications Commission guidelines mandate network providers in Nigeria to deactivate and reallocate inactive SIM cards and phone numbers to new subscribers after a period of 180 days and later one year of dormancy without the knowledge of the former subscriber, as provided in their Telecom Identity Risk Management Policy,” he said.

n

He added, “The House is also aware, as claimed by network providers, that it is not financially sustainable or profitable for them to retain inactive SIM cards on their network despite being registered with the initial subscribers’ data.

n

“We are worried that many innocent Nigerians and other nationals have been embarrassed, humiliated and extorted over false allegations resulting from the reallocation of SIM cards or phone numbers previously used to commit crimes.

n

“We are concerned that if not strictly regulated, the reassignment of SIM cards or phone numbers could lead to data breaches, identity theft, and financial fraud, especially where such numbers remain linked to sensitive personal information like Bank Verification Numbers and National Identity Numbers.”

n

The motion enjoyed overwhelming support from members and was adopted without dissent.

n

Following its adoption, the House mandated its committees on communications and commerce to liaise with the NCC, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen regulatory safeguards for telecom subscribers.

n

The committees were also directed to report back within four weeks for further legislative consideration.

n n