The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has put forward a proposal to shorten the time taken to block a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card of a reported stolen phone from 30 minutes to just five minutes.

The proposition was revealed during a three-day public inquiry of six regulatory instruments held at the NCC’s headquarters in Abuja.

Edoyemi Ogoh, the Deputy Director of the Technical Standards and Networks Integrity Department, presented the Draft Quality of Service Business Rules, stating that the amendment aims to expedite the process of blocking stolen phones.

According to the proposed change, once a phone is reported and confirmed stolen, the service provider will be required to block the SIM card within five minutes.

The overall objective of the regulatory amendment is to keep up with technological advancements and ensure that subscribers receive better value for their money.

The NCC believes that such improvements will foster an enabling environment for the communications sector to thrive and meet the demands of the evolving digital age.