Mobile operator Airtel Nigeria has advised the nation’s industry regulator the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to speed up delivery of its proposed Mobile Number Portability (MNP).
The introduction of MNP in Nigeria will promote healthy competition among the nation’s various telecoms service providers and will greatly enhance and improve the Quality of Service in the telecoms sector.
Osondu Nwokoro, Airtel Nigeria’s Director of Regulatory Affairs and Special Projects, said: “We commend the NCC for their efforts thus far and encourage them to push harder for the implementation of the project. It is our belief that the implementation of MNP will address quality of service issues and also help to put an end to anti-competitive practices in the industry.”
According to him, consumers will benefit immensely from the initiative since it will compel business-minded telecoms companies to improve the quality of services they are rendering to their Nigerian customers.
“Right now, the MNP test run is about to commence and Airtel is very prepared for this phase of the project. We are also working harmoniously with the Interconnect Clearing House and other operators to ensure that the project commences as scheduled as having too many implementation delays is not in the interest of the industry,” he added.
The President of National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS), Deolu Ogunbanjo, is another MNP advocate.
In his remark at the forum, he asked the NCC to fulfill the pledge it has made to Nigerians when the commission promised to introduce and fully implement MNP before the end of March 2013.
“Telecoms consumers [in Nigeria] are currently groaning in pains and MNP will provide soothing relief to them,” he said.
The NCC was represented by Eugene Juwah, Executive Vice Chairman, who reiterated his commission’s commitment to the full implementation of MNP before the end of the first quarter of 2013. According to him, the promise will not fail.
