By Favour Unukaso
DATA from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that in the first three months of 2024, mobile network operators (MNOs) exchanged 1, 911 subscribers through mobile number porting (MNP).
NBS disclosed that MTN received 1,296 new users from other networks, while 136 customers left the Yhello network. 343 subscribers ported into Airtel, while 173 left. Globacom welcomed 210 users but lost 269 customers. Emerging Market Telecoms Service operating as 9mobile lost 1,333 subscribers but received 62 new ones in the period under review.
Recall that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) formally introduced MNP in the country on April 22, 2013 with the with the aim of giving the telecoms consumer a choice and freedom to be with the best network at any time as well as enhance competition in the industry.
It is noted that with the MNP now in its 11th year, it can be deduced that MNP has not live up to expectation as it failed to engender perfect competition and improved service delivery within the telecoms ecosystem. Perhaps, the multi-Simming nature of Nigerians, where virtually one subscriber uses all the SIMs of the network providers also fueled its failure.
Further analysis of the NBS Q1 data showed that three states, Lagos, Ogun, and Kano accounted for 23 per cent of the country’s total active mobile subscriptions as of Q1 2024.
According to the Bureau, total active mobile subscriptions in Nigeria at the end of the first quarter stood at 219.3 million, showing a 3.3 per cent decline from 226.1 million reported in Q1 2023.
The states emerged as the top three by having the highest number of mobile subscriptions with a combined 50.5 million active mobile lines.
The data showed that Lagos, known as the commercial nerve centre of the country, maintained the lead with 25.9 million active subscriptions, followed by Ogun which recorded 12.6 million subscriptions at the end of Q1 2024. Kano came third with 11.9 million active subscriptions.
On the other hand, Bayelsa recorded the least mobile subscription with 1.6 million subscriptions followed by Ebonyi and Ekiti with 1.8 million and 1.9 million respectively.
In terms of Internet connections, Lagos State still came first with the highest number of active internet subscribers in Q1 2024 with 18.8 million followed by Ogun with 9.5 million, and Kano with 9 million.
Again, Bayelsa recorded the least internet connections with 1.2 million, followed by Ebonyi and Ekiti with 1.4 million and 1.5 respectively.