Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has introduced a new rule that requires companies sending bulk international text messages, also known as Application-to-Person (A2P) messages, to get a licence that costs N10 million.
These A2P messages are the kind you get from banks, online stores, hospitals and political campaigns, automated texts sent from apps to your phone.
The NCC said the new move is aimed at cleaning up the system, fighting fraud, blocking spam messages and stopping money from leaving the country unchecked.
According to the Commission, the bulk international text message system has been poorly regulated for too long. “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 NCC said.
It warned that without action, the problem would worsen as more people use mobile phones and digital services.
To solve this, the NCC is creating a central platform, or gateway, through which all international bulk text messages must pass.
