Like millions of Nigerians, he submitted his National Identification Number, NIN, had his biometric details captured and posed for a head-shot, expecting the line to be registered solely in his name. This means that any weakness in the management or reassignment of phone numbers could expose subscribers to identity theft, financial fraud and privacy breaches. According to him, one of the biggest vulnerabilities lies in what happens after phone numbers are recycled. Similarly, cybersecurity experts say tighter digital identity management and greater collaboration among telecom operators, banks, fintech firms, regulators and security agencies have become essential as Nigeria’s digital economy expands. According to him, stronger interoperability between digital identity systems, telecom databases and security agencies could significantly reduce opportunities for criminals to exploit recycled phone numbers.