How MTN, Airtel, Others Reassign Old Numbers to New Users – What Nigerians Must Know
- ALTON says phone numbers in Nigeria are government-owned and only assigned to users as a privilege
- Inactive numbers are withdrawn and returned to the regulator after a specified period
- Users are not liable for any activities linked to the number before it was reassigned to them
Oluwatobi Odeyinka is a business editor at Legit.ng, covering energy, the money market, technology and macroeconomic trends in Nigeria.
The Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has clarified that unused phone numbers in Nigeria are returned to the federal government and later reassigned to new users after a specified period.
Speaking with Nigerian Info, ALTON chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, explained that telephone numbers are not owned by subscribers but are privileges allocated under regulatory oversight.
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Why inactive numbers are recycled
Adebayo stated that when a number remains unused for a period defined by law, telecom operators are required to withdraw and return it to the regulator.
He added that such numbers undergo a “cooling period” before they are reissued to another subscriber, in line with existing telecommunications regulations.
According to him, this process explains why new users sometimes receive calls or messages intended for previous owners of the line.
What it means for new subscribers
The ALTON chairman noted that once a number is reassigned, it becomes the new user’s identity for communication purposes.
He explained that contacts linked to the previous owner may still attempt to reach the number, especially if it has been saved or shared widely before reassignment.
Adebayo assured subscribers that individuals who receive recycled numbers are not responsible for any activities carried out by previous users.
In the short broadcast, he emphasised that a subscriber’s obligations on a line begin only from the time the number is officially assigned to them.
NCC moves to curb phone number-linked fraud
Recall that Nigeria’s telecom regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), recently stepped up efforts to combat rising digital fraud with a new directive targeting suspicious phone numbers.
Under the proposed framework, telecom operators such as MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria will be required to identify and flag high-risk phone numbers in real time.
The move is designed to close loopholes exploited by fraudsters and strengthen trust in Nigeria’s fast-growing digital ecosystem.
At the heart of this initiative is the Telecoms Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), a centralised platform that will monitor and verify the risk status of mobile numbers across multiple sectors.
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NCC orders MTN, Airtel to compensate Nigerians
Legit.ng earlier reported that the NCC has directed telecom operators to compensate subscribers for poor network service with airtime credits.
The decision follows verified failures by operators to meet quality of service standards, as subscribers will receive notifications. The commission has strengthened monitoring systems and warned of sanctions for non-compliance.
The NCC boss noted that the framework uses detailed monitoring at the local government level to identify specific areas and periods of poor network performance. According to him, this approach allows the commission to focus on measurable, location-based service failures rather than general complaints.
Source: Legit.ng
