A growing number of 9mobile subscribers have been unable to switch to other networks in the past month, with industry insiders alleging that the telecom operator is deliberately obstructing porting requests at the backend.
The issue has raised concerns among industry stakeholders, prompting the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers to urge the Nigerian Communications Commission to investigate the matter.
This development comes as 9mobile’s subscriber base has remained stagnant at 3.2 million for three consecutive months. This marks a sharp decline from 23.4 million in 2015, when the company held a 15.7 per cent market share.
“The problem is from 9mobile. They are experiencing network issues. When customers complete the porting form, we send a text code to them for verification, but it never goes through,” a customer service representative said.
Mobile Number Portability, introduced by the NCC in 2013, enables telecom users to switch service providers while retaining their phone numbers. The process requires subscribers to submit a request at their preferred new network provider, which then initiates a transfer request to the subscriber’s current provider.
NATCOMS President, Deolu Ogunbanjo, expressed concern over the situation. “If porting is no longer possible, as reports suggest, it is a serious issue. We will escalate this to the NCC because Mobile Number Portability is a regulatory initiative designed to protect consumers. The NCC must be made aware, and I am confident they will look into it.”
Recent NCC data shows that mobile number portability surged by 190 per cent in January 2025, with 8,708 subscribers switching networks compared to 2,998 in December 2024. 9mobile recorded the highest customer losses, with 6,716 subscribers migrating to competitors. Despite this rise in porting activity, only seven new customers joined 9mobile in January.
Subscribers have increasingly reported chronic network outages, automatic data renewals without consent, and poor customer service—factors driving them to competitors such as MTN and Airtel.
In July 2024, a six-day nationwide outage occurred following multiple fibre cuts and infrastructure damage, severely affecting voice and data services. 9mobile apologised at the time and assured customers that its technical teams were working to restore service.
As concerns grow over these recent allegations, stakeholders await the NCC’s response and potential regulatory intervention.
