Your old phone number could land you in trouble, even after you stop using it.
The House of Representatives is pushing to slam the brakes on SIM recycling, asking the NCC to wait 18 months before reassigning inactive numbers, up from the current 360-day rule.
The move follows rising fears that recycled SIMs are exposing Nigerians to fraud, extortion, and wrongful criminal suspicion.
Hon. Billy Osawaru, Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode Federal Constituency, Edo State, warned that dormant numbers often stay linked to bank accounts, BVN, and NIN data.
When reassigned, new users — or criminals — can hijack those digital footprints.
“The current practice of recycling dormant SIM cards without sufficient public notification exposes unsuspecting Nigerians to embarrassment, extortion and even wrongful criminal suspicion,” Osawaru told the House on Thursday, May 1, 2026.
The House adopted Osawaru’s motion and issued three demands:
1. Extend the wait: NCC should hold inactive numbers for 18 months before recycling, to align with the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.
2. Name and shame: Publish numbers earmarked for reallocation in national newspapers for six months before they’re reused.
3. Loop in security: Share details of those numbers with security agencies to boost transparency and crime prevention.
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The resolution lands as NCC ramps up its own crackdown.
In late March 2026, it launched the Telecoms Identity Risk Management System, TIRMS, to help banks and regulators track reassigned numbers and curb SIM recycling fraud.
Current NCC rules allow recycling after 360 days of inactivity. Reps say that’s not enough.
The House mandated its Committees on Communications and Commerce to engage NCC, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, and other stakeholders, and report back in four weeks.
For telcos, longer dormancy means more numbers sitting idle. For Nigerians, it could mean fewer cases of strangers accessing your old WhatsApp, bank alerts, or worse — your identity.
The House says the change will cut risks tied to recycled numbers and force more accountability from the telecoms sector.
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