Number Portability for Nigeria phone users

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will introduce number portability in the nation's telecommunications sector by the end of September 2011, when the SIM card registration exercise is

expected to end, Reuben Muoka, the commission's head of public affairs has said.

Mr Muoka who disclosed this at the Consumer Parliament organised by NCC in Abuja, hinted that the programme will only run after a pool of data of the subscribers has been gathered through the SIM card registration exercise.

"We will start number portability after we have recorded a substantial number of SIM registration, since you need identity information of each subscriber for number portability," he said.

Number portability enables phone users to keep their telephone numbers even after changing from one network operator to another.

"Number portability means a situation whereby you can own a line like Etisalat but can take that Etisalat line to MTN and be using MTN, or Airtel and Glo network but the number still remains Etisalat line," Mr Mouka explained.

"This means that if one operator is not treating you well, you can use their number and go to another network and retain that important number that has become yours."

On how the project would run, Mr Muoka said a consultant was expected to monitor and ensure that the service provider selected adheres to specifications given in the consultation document.

Sceptical operators

Mr Muoka also stated that NCC was intensifying efforts at ensuring that telecoms consumers were motivated to register their SIM by taking the campaign to the rural areas.

According to him, NCC has just concluded a session of jingles translated into local languages in each of the geopolitical zones.

"We were on at least two radio stations for two weeks, two television centres for two weeks and the centres were advertised in the newspapers. We believe this is the best way to treat the rural areas," Mr Muoka said.

Telecoms operators have privately explored means of wooing subscribers to register their SIM cards.

While MTN has engaged more consultants, Etisalat has procuring more mini-buses to enable the operator penetrate rural communities with ease to mobilise their subscribers.

The SIM registration exercise, launched in March, was billed to last for six months.

But telecoms operators in Nigeria have said that there is nothing on the ground to show that number portability can be implemented in the nearest future.

"We are not ready for number portability because the guidelines have not been released, when NCC releases the guidelines we will know how to get involved," said a spokesperson for an operator, who did not want to be quoted in the media.