Nigeria’s telecommunications industry is once again grappling with the resurgence of call masking, a practice that has long plagued operators, regulators, and subscribers.

Call masking involves disguising the true origin of international calls to appear as local numbers, often to evade higher tariffs and regulatory scrutiny. While the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had previously cracked down on the menace, recent reports suggested the practice was re-emerging, raising fresh concerns about revenue loss, national security, and consumer trust.

Industry stakeholders warned that the return of call masking could erode billions of naira in legitimate earnings for both telecom operators and government coffers. By bypassing international call rates, perpetrators not only deprive the sector of vital revenue but also distort market competition. Analysts argued that the practice undermines the integrity of Nigeria’s telecom ecosystem, especially at a time when operators are investing heavily in infrastructure upgrades and 5G rollout.

Beyond financial implications, a telecom expert and former NITEL staff, Kehinde Aluko, said this raised potential security risks. He said masked calls make it difficult to trace the true origin of communication, posing challenges for law enforcement agencies in tackling cybercrime, fraud, and other illicit activities.

“Call masking is not just economic sabotage; it is a national security threat,” Aluko noted, stressing the urgency of decisive regulatory action.

A major player in the enterprise, wholesale, and fixed-line telecommunications infrastructure segment and International Data Access Gateway Operator (IDA), who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told yesterday, that call masking and refilling are fast resurfacing in the sector.

The operator urged the NCC to beam its searchlight on sector again to tame the menace fast, stressing that apart from economic losses, there were huge security implications to it.

Indeed, around 2018 to early 2000s, The Guardian had reported how Nigeria’s telecom sector lost about N1.06 trillion ($3 billion as of FX rate then) to sharp practices including call masking, refilling, SIM boxing, among others.

Already, to protect the integrity of the sector, the Governing Board of the NCC has reaffirmed a strict zero-tolerance policy against call masking, labeling the illicit practice a direct act of economic sabotage.

Arising from the Board’s 110th meeting concluded at the weekend in Abuja, where members evaluated detailed reports exposing a renewed surge in call masking across domestic networks, NCC expressed concern over the implications for the integrity, security and orderly development of the telecommunications ecosystem.

The board in a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, reiterated the Commission’s zero-tolerance position on call masking, which remains an unacceptable practice and a serious regulatory concern.

The Board further noted that call masking undermines legitimate telecommunications operations, distorts industry revenues, and constitutes an act of economic sabotage capable of adversely impacting the national economy, among other effects. (The Guardian)