Mobile service providers should co-operate with NCC

This is a new invention that holds bright future for the already impressive telecoms sector and I don’t see the reason why Africa’s fastest growing telecoms market will be left behind. Nigeria has over 90 million subscriber base, the highest in Africa. This figure is indeed an unprecedented growth in just a decade from 400,000 […]

This is a new invention that holds bright future for the already impressive telecoms sector and I don’t see the reason why Africa’s fastest growing telecoms market will be left behind. Nigeria has over 90 million subscriber base, the highest in Africa. This figure is indeed an unprecedented growth in just a decade from 400,000 lines in 2001. This transformation has boosted Foreign Direct Investments {FDI} in the telecoms industry in Nigeria to the tune of $18bn, brought more  revenue to the federation account and created mass direct employment of Nigerians by the GSM operators in a manner never before seen. It has indeed led to the engagement of millions of Nigerians in the downstream sector of the industry, including the umbrella phone booth operators, a model the International Telecommunication Union, ITU has singled out as a unique Nigerian contribution to the global telecom service delivery menu. It is therefore imperative for us in Nigeria be it GSM service providers and users alike, to get ready and embrace this all important and benefiting revolution called Mobile Number Portability, MNP.

The Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC) on its part, appears to be ready for the full introduction of the MNP. The regulatory body under Dr Eugene Juwah, has indeed kick-started the MNP revolution. The Commission has licensed a consortium for the implementation of the MNP in early 2012. The NCC has in recent times, placed premium on improved quality of service and reduction of cost for making calls.

Despite some industry challenges, NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Juwah, has always insisted on nothing short of high quality service for subscribers in the Nigerian market. At a recent function to mark the 8th anniversary of telecom consumers parliament, Juwah argued that there will be no network without the consumers. In plain language, the consumers make the network. Therefore, he said, the operators must reciprocate by investing in basic infrastructure and network expansion. Juwah assured consumers that the MNP when fully operational, will occasion a price reduction in making calls and therefore, urged all to embrace it. Nigerian GSM users on their own part, should embrace the number portability because of its enormous benefits. The MNP means that a GSM user can easily change his service provider without going to the usual vigorous process of having to spend valuable money and time to notify all of his pals, colleagues, family and business associates, that you have changed your mobile number. This will save the Nigerian subscriber the trouble or madness of having to walk around with too many handsets, as MNP will result in further competition among the operators and force them to concentrate and improve on the quality of their services.GSM service providers on their part will have no other option than to co-operate with the NCC so as to further revolutionize the industry, particularly in the area of mobile number portability. NCC has stated its commitment to the MNP project and should be given support. Having grown the telecoms market to become one of the fastest growing markets in the world and largest in Africa, it is understandable why the NCC is introducing the number portability at this time. The GSM service providers should therefore wake up and face the challenges ahead with the introduction of MNP. They should as a matter of urgency, heed the several calls on them by the NCC to improve their services by investing more on infrastructure. A situation where the Nigerian telecom provider has only 13,000 base stations instead of at least 60,000 needed for quality performance, does not augur well for our telecoms market and nation. There is no gain saying that failure on the part of the service providers to embrace the MNP by improving on their services will make some of them lose out in the industry because customers who are not satisfied with their services will now have a choice to port to another satisfying network. The MNP is indeed an invention long overdue in the Nigerian telecoms market; a market of 167 million people in which over 60 percent are in the active youth bracket cannot be ignored or taken for granted. The active youth component of the Nigerian market means there is a luxuriant future for existing GSM providers and more room for integration of fresh and novel ideas through the MNP. Let us all embrace it.

Silas Ibru write from Warri