The Governing Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has expressed concern over the resurgence of call masking activities in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry, warning that the practice poses serious threats to the integrity and orderly development of the sector.
The Board raised the concern during its 110th Meeting, where it considered a report on the renewed activities of call masking within the telecommunications ecosystem.
According to the Board, call masking undermines legitimate telecommunications operations, distorts industry revenues and could amount to economic sabotage, with potential adverse consequences for the national economy.
The Board reiterated the Commission’s zero-tolerance position on call masking, describing the practice as unacceptable and a serious regulatory concern.
It also reaffirmed the NCC’s commitment to working closely with relevant security and law-enforcement agencies, telecommunications industry stakeholders and other relevant partners to identify, prevent and ultimately eliminate call masking activities.
The development comes amid broader regulatory efforts to strengthen the integrity, security and resilience of Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure and protect legitimate industry operations.
Board Reviews Repositioning Initiative
At the meeting, the Board also considered issues relating to a proposed repositioning initiative, with attention to its institutional, commercial and legal implications.
The Board noted that the initiative would be examined from two key perspectives. The first assessment will focus on human resources and institutional positioning, while the second will determine the commercial and legal viability of the proposed repositioning.
The assessments are expected to provide a basis for determining the feasibility and sustainability of the initiative.
The Board said its deliberations were consistent with the Commission’s broader regulatory objectives of promoting transparency, network resilience, digital trust, inclusive connectivity, consumer protection and fair competition.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Commission reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing regulatory actions that support the sustainable growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.
The meeting ended with a renewed commitment to stakeholders that the NCC would continue to promote transparency in its operations while strengthening measures aimed at ensuring a secure, resilient and trusted telecommunications ecosystem.
The statement was issued by the Office of the Commission Secretary following the 110th Mee
