Nigerian lawmakers seek 18-month waiting period before telecom firms recycle dormant lines

The House of Representatives has urged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to extend the timeframe for reassigning inactive phone numbers to new users to 18 months.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion moved by Billy Osawaru, who represents Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode Federal Constituency in Edo State, during plenary on Tuesday.

In his proposal, Mr Osawaru recommended that an additional six-month window be introduced before dormant SIM cards are reassigned. Within that period, telecom operators would be required to publicly announce numbers slated for reallocation in national newspapers and notify law enforcement agencies once or twice a year.

The lawmaker said the measure is aimed at strengthening compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 and shielding citizens from risks such as fraud, identity theft and wrongful criminal implication linked to recycled phone numbers.

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Mr Osawaru argued that greater transparency in the process would also make it easier to investigate and resolve disputes arising from SIM card reuse.

He noted that under existing NCC guidelines, telecom operators deactivate and reassign inactive SIM cards after 180 days and, in some cases, up to one year of dormancy, often without the knowledge of the original subscriber, as outlined in the Telecom Identity Risk Management Policy.

While operators have maintained that retaining inactive lines is commercially unsustainable, the lawmaker expressed concern over reported cases where individuals have faced harassment, extortion or false accusations tied to activities carried out using reassigned numbers.

“We are worried that many innocent Nigerians and other nationals have been embarrassed, humiliated and extorted, over false allegations resulting from reallocation of SIM cards or phone numbers used to commit a crime by the previous user,” he said.

He warned that, without stricter safeguards, the practice could expose subscribers to data breaches and financial crimes, particularly where such numbers remain linked to sensitive identifiers like Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) and National Identification Numbers (NIN).

“We are concerned that if not strictly guided and checked, reallocation of SIM cards or phone numbers to new subscribers could lead to data breaches, identity theft and financial fraud, especially when the numbers are still linked to the previous owner’s sensitive information, such as Bank Verification Number and National Identity Number,” he said.

The motion received unanimous backing and was adopted without opposition.

Following its passage, the House mandated its Committees on Communications and Commerce to engage the NCC, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission and other relevant bodies to tighten regulatory safeguards for telecom users.

The committees are expected to report back within four weeks for further legislative action.

How SIM reallocation works

Under current telecom regulations, mobile numbers that remain unused for a defined period are classified as inactive. Once a subscriber stops making calls, sending messages, using data, or recharging their line, operators begin counting the dormancy period.

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After about six months of inactivity, the line may be deactivated, meaning it can no longer send or receive services. If the inactivity persists, the number is eventually withdrawn from the original subscriber and returned to the operator’s pool of available numbers for reassignment to a new user.

Before reallocation, operators are expected to delink the number from the previous user’s records within their systems. However, challenges arise when the number remains tied to external services such as banking platforms, email accounts or government databases, including BVN and NIN records.

This gap is what lawmakers say has led to cases where new users inherit numbers still connected to sensitive personal data, exposing both the former and current holders to risks.