How Nigeria Is Battling Exploding SMS Spam
The country is stepping up its fight against pervasive SMS spam and fraud through a new regulatory framework.
Over the last few years, spam messages in Nigeria have exploded, flooding inboxes with everything from unsolicited loan offers to shady crypto schemes. Telecom providers have started fighting back: Airtel, for instance, recently launched an AI-powered spam alert system to help users flag and block suspicious messages.
But now, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the country's telecommunications sector regulator has stepped in with something even bigger, a regulatory overhaul designed to bring structure to the chaos.
This new framework, rolled out by the NCC, targets what’s known as A2P (Application-to-Person) messaging, the kind of automated messages businesses send to your phone, like bank alerts, delivery updates, and promo texts. From now on, any business, telecom operator, or aggregator that wants to operate in this space must secure a five-year licence that costs ₦10 million. That’s no small change, and it's clear the NCC is serious about cleaning up the industry.
Oluwaseun Bamisile
One major aspect of the framework is a centralised system for routing international A2P messages. That means foreign companies can no longer sneak their messages into Nigerian networks through unofficial backdoors, what the industry calls "grey routes." All international bulk SMS traffic must now go through NCC-approved channels.
This should not only cut down on spam and fraud but also help local telcos earn a fairer share of revenue that previously slipped through the cracks.
Licensed operators will also have to meet strict standards: encrypt data, submit regular traffic reports, and avoid blocking or discriminating against rivals. Only companies with a track record of secure and ethical operations will be eligible for licensing, which the NCC says will help protect user data and ensure message quality.
Louis Eriakha
For businesses, especially banks, fintechs, and logistics companies that rely on bulk SMS, this might mean added costs and paperwork, but also clarity and credibility.
For users, the benefits are even clearer: fewer unwanted messages clog up your inbox. Sure, this won’t stop everything, you’ll probably still get the occasional robocall or spammy WhatsApp blast, but at least one layer of the noise is finally being filtered out.
