Telecommunications operators have recorded blended fortunes following the alternate of about 55,388 subscribers via the cellular community portability (MNP) scheme in 2024.
Launched by the Nigerian Communications Fee (NCC) on April 22, 2013, the MNP system permits subscribers emigrate from one community to a different whereas retaining their authentic cellphone quantity.
One of many main causes for its introduction into Nigeria’s telecoms market was to engender competitiveness and permit subscribers to desert any operator that carried out beneath par when it comes to service high quality. However 12 years after its launch, Nigeria’s multi-simming moved to a different stage. As we speak, nearly all subscribers belong to MTN, Airtel, Globacom and 9mobile quartet.
Merely put, about 165 million lively subscribers within the nation are but to get worth for cash on telephony companies, together with voice and information companies.
December 2024 subscription statistics, the final information for the 12 months underneath evaluate, seen by The Guardian, present that MTN welcomed 36,412 new customers into its community, whereas 2,496 ported out. Airtel ranked second with 13,783 prospects coming into the community, whereas 4,051 left.
Additional evaluation confirmed that Globacom misplaced 3,813 subscribers and welcomed 4,469 new customers in 2024. Embattled 9mobile acquired 724 new prospects from different networks, however misplaced 44,658 customers to different gamers.
Chatting with The Guardian on the comparatively low impression of MNP, a telecoms professional, Kehinde Aluko, admitted that MNP was launched in Nigeria to present customers extra selections and encourage competitors amongst cellular community operators. Nonetheless, it hasn’t been as profitable as initially hoped.
Based on Aluko, the explanations for the low success price embrace operators providing comparable high quality of service. He mentioned MNP was anticipated to drive competitors by permitting prospects to simply change to a community with higher service. Nonetheless, the standard of service throughout the main Nigerian cellular operators is basically comparable. He mentioned this implies there’s no robust incentive for patrons to modify in the event that they’re not experiencing considerably worse service on their present community.
Based on him, whereas some operators provide incentives to draw new prospects, they is probably not compelling sufficient to encourage individuals to undergo the effort of switching networks.
Aluko mentioned there was low or ignorance among the many normal public concerning the MNP course of and its advantages, saying some individuals could not even realize it exists or the right way to go about it. He additionally submitted that there have been experiences of technical glitches and delays within the porting course of, which may discourage individuals from making an attempt it.
“In some areas, one community may need considerably higher protection than others. This may restrict the attraction of switching, even when one other community presents higher offers or companies. There was additionally buyer inertia. Individuals usually persist with what they know, even when there could be higher choices obtainable. Switching networks can appear to be a trouble, and a few prospects could merely not be bothered to vary,” he said.
MEANWHILE, additional evaluation of the subscription information confirmed that Nigeria ended 2024 with 164.9 million lively telecommunications subscribers. Although the determine was 224.7 million in December 2023, the NIN-SIM audit helped to filter the system and by September 2024, NCC put the determine at 154 million. NCC defined that each lively cellular phone quantity within the nation can now be recognized after the cleansing introduced concerning the NIN-SIM train.
It can be deduced that from October to December 2024, telecoms operators activated and reactivated about 10 million strains. In October 2024, the determine was 157.6 million, it moved to 159.8 million in November and by the top of the 12 months, it was 164.9 million.
The nation’s teledensity grew from 71.4 per cent in September, after the audit, to 76 per cent by year-end. Teledensity measures the variety of telephones in a particular space in comparison with the variety of individuals dwelling there. It’s usually used to match entry to communication companies between completely different areas or nations.
Additional evaluation of the NCC information confirmed that 4G expertise remained the dominant expertise reaching 47.2 per cent protection of the nation in 2024. 2G remained helpful in Nigeria with 41.59 per cent and 3G, 8.75 per cent.
Based on checks, 5G, which is its third 12 months of economic launch in Nigeria, recorded 2.46 per cent penetration. By implication, it implies that some 4 million Nigerians are actually on 5G radar supplied by MTN, Airtel and Mafab Communications.
By way of market penetration by the operators, MTN maintained dominance, ending the 12 months 2024 with 84.6 million subscribers and 52.39 per cent market attain. Airtel is second with 56.6 million customers and 34.4 per cent penetration, adopted by Globacom with 12.23 per cent and 20.1 million prospects and 9mobile in fourth place with 3.28 million customers and 1.99 per cent penetration.
