Telecom
Experts Seek Stricter Regulation against Call Masking, SIM-Boxing Fraud

Experts have called for stronger laws and stricter regulation to tackle security issues around call masking and Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)-boxing-related fraud in Nigeria, according to the Nation.
Call masking or refilling is a practice in which international calls are terminated in Nigeria as local numbers, using illegal SIM boxes loaded with several numbers.
It is a deliberate attempt by fraudsters to avoid paying the correct International Termination Rate (ITR) for international calls, paying instead the Local Termination Rate (LTR).
For example, when the number is masked as a local call, an operator pays N3.90 LTR and not N24.40 ITR.
The process allows operators to terminate inbound international telecoms traffic as local calls, so they do not have to pay ITR, which is the interconnection charge set by telecoms traffic carriers as carrier-to-carrier charges.
A SIM Box fraud is a setup where fraudsters install SIM boxes with multiple prepaid SIM cards.
A fraudster can bring calls through VOIP (through the internet) and terminate international calls through local phone numbers from a country, to make it appear as a local call, by initiating the call through a local SIM installed in the SIM box.
About three years ago, when the issue came to the limelight, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) carried out some investigations, leading to the sanctioning and suspension of some operators earlier this year.
Some of these suspensions were later lifted.
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Department of State Services (DSS), and Committees of the House of Representatives and Senate have on several occasions expressed concern about the menace.
While many stakeholders believe that the menace has been nipped in the bud, it has continued to rear its ugly head to the bewilderment of experts and stakeholders.
Ikechukwu Nnamani, president/chief executive officer of Medallion Communications Limited, lamented that it is a subject matter, which NCC should address completely.
Nnamani, who is an executive member of the premier telecom body in Nigeria – the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), said almost all calls he received recently are masked.
“Sometimes, I don’t pick up calls because I do not know the number only to find out later it was an international call.
“The truth is that I don’t know why this has not been resolved, I expected it to have been solved.
“Honestly, I would not know why. One would have expected them to have sorted all these out by now,” he said.
Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, president of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers of Nigeria (NATCOMS) said there was no need to relent in reporting the menace to the right authority.
He said it could be a plan to ensure that gain accrued to some people. “I don’t know whether call masking favours the operator or it is being done deliberately.
“It is a situation that the telecoms should deal with because it is a technical problem. I think it is some of those unlicensed operators doing all these.
“Some of these operators’ facilities are being tapped into; they need to look into their operations, so they can be taken care of.
“If they are still in the habit of doing it, proper sanctions should be meted out to any erring service provider.
“There should be heavier sanctions. They can’t be short-changing subscribers and at the same time, the government,” he said.
Mr. Ajibola Olude, executive secretary of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), believes the issue can be addressed.
“When it comes to technology, you can only address it maximally. It is not as rampant as before and it is an international issue.
“We have addressed it before and we will look at it again.
“About four years ago, when it happened, we deployed all the resources within our capacity to address it and I think it was addressed maximally.
“I have not seen any operator complaining, except now that you are raising the issue, but as far as we know, call-masking is no longer a problem.
“I am going to contact our compliance monitoring to enlighten me about what is going on, but it is no longer an issue,” he said.
Mouka Reuben, director, Public affairs, NCC, said the situation has been tackled before and he does not think it was a major issue again.
He, however, promised that the commission would look into it again to find a way out.
NCC recently put the revenue lost to call-masking and SIM-boxing activities in the country at $3 billion.
This is as telecom operators lamented during the 85th edition of the Telecom Consumer Parliament in Lagos that they were losing about N2.5 million minutes per day to these fraudulent activities.
On actions that had been taken by the commission to combat the menace, Prof Umar Danbatta, former Executive Vice-Chairman, NCC, said the NCC had tightened the SIM registration process across all networks to reduce the availability of SIM cards for SIM-boxing as well as address the security issues around the availability of pre-registered SIMs.
According to him, the action was necessary as some arrests made in Lagos two weeks ago showed that the perpetrators of SIM-boxing had over 100 SIM cards registered with fictitious names and used them to divert international calls.
Credit: The Nation
Telecom
MTN @ Swish Fusion Summit, Showcases 5G Rollout Strategy

MTN Nigeria Communications Plc has joined other professionals across media, technology, and business gathered in Lagos for the Swish Fusion Tech and Media Summit.
Themed ‘Africa: Big Wins & New Breaks’, the summit drew thousands of attendees and featured more than 40 speakers exploring the intersection of innovation, regulation, and economic growth across the continent.
Among the sessions, MTN Nigeria presented a detailed look at the company’s ongoing 5G deployment efforts and its role in shaping enterprise infrastructure.
Njideka Jack, senior manager for Partnerships in MTN’s Enterprise Business Division, shared details of the investments, reiterating the company’s commitment to delivering high-quality 5G-powered services.
The company’s 5G rollout timeline began in 2022 with license acquisition from the Nigerian Communications Commission. In 2023, MTN moved into pilot testing and infrastructure investment.
By 2024, coverage had expanded to key cities and business hubs.
The company now plans to extend access to more underserved areas throughout 2025 while deepening collaboration with OEMs and regulators.
Beyond the rollout itself, Jack also spoke on the potential of private 5G networks for Nigerian enterprises.
With the ability to offer secure, high-speed, low-latency connectivity, these networks are increasingly being adopted in manufacturing, healthcare, education, and logistics sectors.
The summit’s broader agenda reflected a similar sense of urgency around Africa’s digital future.
Panels and breakout sessions tackled topics ranging from mobile-first product design and regulatory frameworks to the rise of AI in content creation and the realities of funding early-stage tech ventures on the continent.
Speakers from companies like Jumia, Stears and local startups provided perspectives on both the barriers and breakthroughs in building scalable African solutions.
The sessions also sparked conversations about how African businesses are adapting to consumer behaviour shifts and infrastructure limitations.
Telecom
PAT Taps Osi as CEO

Pan African Towers (PAT), a Nigerian infrastructure provider serving 9mobile and Spectranet, has appointed Echezona Osi as chief executive officer.

Echezona Osi
Adefolarin Ogunsanya, company’s, board chairman, explained in a statement that Osi would succeed Oladipo Badru, whose tenure lasted nine months in acting CEO position. Osi has more than 28 years of experience in the telecommunications sector across various regions of Africa.
Prior to his appointment as CEO, he had served as the head of network deployment at Airtel Nigeria, operations director and chief technical information officer at MIC Tanzania, chief technology officer roles at IPT PowerTech Nigeria, Rhino Niger Networks and Biswal Nigeria.
He obtained a degree in electrical/ electronic engineering from the University of Benin and a postgraduate diploma in data science and business analytics from the University of Texas.
Telecom
NCC Introduces N10m Licence Fee for Bulk SMS Service

Companies sending bulk international text messages, also known as Application-to-Person (A2P) messages, will now have apply for a licence that costs N10 million.
This is part of new rules introduced by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) aimed at cleaning up the system, fighting fraud, blocking spam messages and stopping money from leaving the country unchecked.
These A2P messages are the kind customers get from banks, online stores, hospitals and political campaigns, automated texts sent from apps to their phones.
According to the commission, the bulk international text message system has been poorly regulated, allowing misuse and invasion of privacy.
“The International SMS Service Ecosystem in Nigeria has not been fully brought under regulatory control. It has been observed that the excessive use of the Short Message Service has led to fraud, spam and illegal activities,” the NCC said.
The regulator warned that without action, the problem would worsen as more people use mobile phones and digital services.
To solve this, the NCC is creating a central platform, or gateway, through which all international bulk text messages must pass through.
The agency said this would help to monitor messages in real time, ensure proper fees are paid, and make sure the money stays in Nigeria where it can contribute to the economy.
As part of the incoming change, service providers must follow strict rules, including strong data protection, spam filters, and message encryption.
Also, they must also work with local mobile networks and make sure all messages come from a verified sender
The NCC warned that any message without a proper sender ID will be blocked and not delivered to users.
To protect users from unwanted texts, the new rules say companies must get clear permission before sending any promotional content.
The rule also says people must also be able to choose whether they want to receive such messages or not.
Companies are now required to keep records of all messages for at least six months and must clearly state all charges involved.
The NCC said fees for help requests, cancellations, or service info must be transparent and not include hidden charges.
The commission will issue licences to several providers to encourage healthy competition but may limit new licences if needed.
Only companies that show they can stop fraud and safely deliver messages will be allowed to operate. They must also regularly report their message traffic and finances to the NCC.
It warned that any company that breaks the rules risks getting fined, suspended, or having its licence revoked.
Offences like charging illegal tariffs, ignoring security rules, or avoiding taxes will be punished, the NCC said.
The commission added that the new rules follow the Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023 and support the federal government’s goal of strengthening cybersecurity and controlling Nigeria’s digital space.
The framework will also be reviewed from time to time to keep up with new technology and market trends.
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