Nigeria’s mobile number portability (MNP) policy will drive competition among Nigerian network providers and encourage operators to increase their valued-added services, says Tony Ojobo, Director of Public Affairs at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Ojobo said the NCC is committed to speeding up the policy across all networks, making it easier for users to switch between mobile operators while retaining the same number. He expects it to be implemented within three months, he revealed in an interview with This Day Live.
He said competition would be increased because operators would not want to lose their customers to another network as users hunt for better service quality.
In May 2012, the NCC said it would commence the number portability regime by June 2012. This did not come to pass, however, causing stakeholders and telecoms companies such as Airtel and the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers to commence advocacy for the full implementation of MNP.
The NCC blamed inadequate preparations by the operators as being responsible for its inability to fully implement MNP last year. However, the telecoms companies also blamed the regulatory agency. According to them, the NCC were unable to create an enabling environment for the commencement of MNP during 2012.
