The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has rolled out a new regulation mandating all companies that send bulk international text messages, also known as Application-to-Person (A2P) SMS, to obtain a licence costing N10 million.
These messages—commonly sent by banks, e-commerce platforms, healthcare providers, and political campaigns—are automated texts from apps to users’ phones.
According to the NCC, the move aims to curb fraud, block spam, and prevent unchecked financial outflows via unregulated international SMS traffic.
“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 Commission stated.
To enforce the new framework, the NCC plans to establish a central gateway through which all international A2P messages must be routed. The goal is to streamline monitoring, improve transparency, and enhance national security within Nigeria’s fast-growing digital communications landscape.
The Commission warned that inaction would worsen the problem as mobile and digital service usage expands across the country.
