LAGOS: In recent months, Nigerians have been readying themselves for number portability, but slow government action and telecom companies inability to get the move done has pushed deadlines back and back. But now, with quality of service a major issue, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) hopes that it will become a reality across the country, “in the near future.” According to an official within the NCC, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media, the regulator hopes that the continued push into portability will hold operators responsible for the quality of services in the country. “We believe this is going to be completed by the end of the year and that it will bring better services to users in Nigeria,” the official said. Although there are about 120 million connected lines in Nigeria, only about 90 million are active. According to the President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Titi Omo-Ettu, Nigeria may not have more than 30 million ‘real' subscribers after all. “What makes the situation worrisome is the fact that some operators seem unconcerned about the plight of their subscribers, knowing they (the subscribers) cannot simply leave the network because of the inconvenience of having to give out a new number to their contacts,” he said. The Nigerian Communications (NCC), however, has made a move to implement Mobile Number Portability (MNP). Number Portability allows subscribers to move to alternate networks when they are no longer enjoying the quality of services being obtained from their current operators, or when they are no longer happy with the tariffs offered by their current subscribers as they will still retain their original numbers irrespective of the new network from which they may be obtaining their services. BM
