Two weeks after the official launch of the much anticipated mobile number portability (MNP) initiative in Nigeria, there are indications that Nigerians may be reluctant to embrace the scheme.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) introduced the scheme to enable the country’s over 100 million mobile phone subscribers to move from one network to another without losing their numbers.

During the launch, Eugene Juwah, executive vice chairman of NCC, said the scheme is expected to deepen competition in the telecoms sector as subscribers have the choice to move to a service provider if they are unhappy.

But despite benefits of MNP, brief ITWeb Africa investigations have revealed
that Nigerians may not be rapidly changing from one telecommunication network to another yet.

Some subscribers have told ITWeb Africa that there is no need for them to port their numbers as they already own dual SIM handsets, which allow mobile subscribers to use two mobile networks’ services on the same phone.

"What is the point switching to another network when I have two dual SIM phones. I use the four networks so when one network is bad, I simply use the other," said Francis Okere, a businessman in Lagos.

"I think the scheme came a little too late. Virtually every service provider here has one network issue of the other so we Nigerians have solved the problem for ourselves by simply subscribing to all the networks. If the scheme had been introduced earlier, maybe we would have embrace it," Okerehe added.

Network service quality issues in Nigeria have been a factor in driving up demand for dual SIM handsets in the country. Last year, Nigeria's telecoms regulator fined the country's four main mobile operators, which include the likes of MTN and Bharti Airtel, a total of 1.17 billion naira on for poor-quality service.

However, ITWeb Africa investigations further indicate that the rigours of porting to another network may also be discouraging subscribers from switching networks.

One criteria for switching to another network, according to NCC guidelines, is that a subscriber has to wait 48 hours for the change to take place.

During that period, all information on the subscriber’s SIM card is lost and the subscriber is not able to make calls.

After a switch has been made by a subscriber, he or she must remain on the new network for a period of 90 days before returning to another network.

Some subscribers say this condition is a hurdle for them to change networks.

"This is like going from frying pan to fire. To me, NCC should have not bothered with this MNP stuff," says Nigerian Barth Ovie.

"The process is just too complicated. How do they expect me to be without my number for 48 hours simply because I want to switch to another network. I would just rather remain with the network I am already using," he added.

But the NCC’s Juwah has said the benefits of MNP outweigh the shortcomings being
experienced.

He said the MNP scheme remains the ‘best’ policy to drive competitiveness among the telecoms companies in the country.

"Mobile number portability remains the best policy for telecoms companies in this country. Whatever problems that are being experienced now will eventually be resolved," he said

Chief executive officer for Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, has said the scheme is a ‘quality’ driven initiative aimed at lessening the regulatory burden of the NCC.

“The NCC can now focus on other areas of regulation that will make investment in the telecoms sector to thrive,” Ogunsanya said.

Brett Ghosen, chief executive officer, MTN Nigeria, described the development as “another revolution” in the history of the Nigeria telecoms sector, which shows that the sector is driven by innovations to give customers choice.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Jameel, chief operating officer (COO) of Globacom, said the initiative was “a game changer” in the Nigerian telecommunications sector.

Despite this attitude regarding the MNP scheme among operators, the likes of Glo Mobile have moved to attempt to beef up their networks so as not to lose subscribers.

Glo, which is Nigeria’s second largest mobile operator by subscriber numbers, late last month signed two network upgrade contracts: one worth $750 million contract with China’s Huawei and the other worth $500 million with ZTE.