ATPN Lauds NCC, ICN on MNP Flag-Off

Association of Telecommunications Professionals of Nigeria (ATPN) has said that the kick off of mobile number portability (MNP) in the country has offered mobile phone subscribers in the country opportunity like in other parts of the world, to port their numbers from erring network operator to another without charges.

The body congratulated Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Telecoms Network Service Providers and Interconnect Clearinghouse of Nigeria (ICN) for the successful take off of the scheme and urged Nigerians to exploit the opportunity provided by MNP.

The current statistics ranked Africa as the second largest mobile market in the world and Nigeria ranked as number one largest mobile market in Africa and the fastest growing telecommunications market in the world, with the largest number of connected and active mobile lines in Sub-Sahara Africa, placed at about 113 millions.

Williams John, national president, ATPN said, the achievement does not showcase a mere reflection on the size of Nigeria’s population, but depicts the level of investment put into the telecoms sector.

He said “It also shows the level of commitment by the NCC, in ensuring that access to telecommunications services to Nigerians is affordable. This introduction of new innovative services that will impact on quality of telecommunications service delivery in the country is a welcome one.

“MNP has been identified as one of such services that could further deepen the competition in the Nigeria telecommunications market. ATPN also uses this medium to thank the Nigeria telecommunications operators for their unanimous readiness to implement the MNP immediately after launch.

“We also salute the courage of the chairman Senate Committee on Communications, Senator (Prince) Gilbert Nnaji, chairman, House of Representative Committee on Communications, Hon. Oyetunde Ojo, Minister of Communications Technology, Hon. (Engr.) Omobola Johnson and the Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, for making sure that the implementation of the mobile number portability is launched in the Nigeria Telecommunications market.

“We therefore, urge that the mobile subscribers should make use of this technological advancement in the telecommunications industry, as a service that will give subscribers the choice of switching to any network service provider of their choice, as this will avert the phenomenon of lack-in services from network service operator, which is a principal obastacle to subscribers choice as against their (subscribers) freedom of choice.

ATPN said subscribers who are unhappy with their operator can easily move to another network provider without losing their telephone number which is essentially the subscribers’ identity.