By Ayomide Otitoju
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 blocking porting requests at the backend.
The issue has raised concerns among industry stakeholders, prompting the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS) to urge the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to investigate the matter.
This development comes as 9mobile’s subscriber base has stagnated at 3.2 million for three consecutive months—a sharp decline from 23.4 million in 2015 when it held a 15.7% market share.
A visit by The PUNCH to customer service centers of major network providers, including MTN and Airtel, confirmed the issue. Customer service representatives reported an influx of 9mobile subscribers attempting to migrate due to persistent network issues.
“The problem is from 9mobile. They are experiencing network issues. When customers complete the porting form, we send a text code to them, and they are supposed to respond. But the message never goes through,” a customer service representative, speaking anonymously due to lack of authorization, said.
Mobile Number Portability, introduced by the NCC in 2013, allows telecom users to switch providers while retaining their phone numbers. The process requires subscribers to submit a request at the new network provider’s service center, after which the receiving operator initiates a transfer request with the subscriber’s current provider.
NATCOMS President, Deolu Ogunbanjo, described the issue as a serious regulatory concern. “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 consumer protection initiative. The NCC should be aware of this, and I am confident they will investigate.”
For more than 24 hours after enquiries were sent, 9mobile’s Lead Public Relations Officer, Chineze Amanfo, and the NCC’s Director of Publicity, Reuben Mouka, failed to respond to requests for comment.
A senior industry source alleged that 9mobile might be intentionally frustrating porting requests. “I have it on good authority that 9mobile is restricting customers from the backend. For the past month, no one has successfully ported from 9mobile to MTN, whereas subscribers are switching from Airtel and Glo to MTN without issues,” the source claimed, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Recent NCC data indicates that mobile number portability surged by 190% 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 leaving for competitors. Despite this increase in porting activity, only seven new customers joined 9mobile in January.
Subscribers have recently reported chronic network outages, unauthorized data renewals, and poor customer service—issues that have driven many to competitors like MTN and Airtel.
In July 2024, a six-day nationwide outage occurred due to multiple fibre cuts and infrastructure damage, disrupting voice and data services. 9mobile apologized and assured customers that its technical teams were working on restoration.
In December 2024, a fire at 9mobile’s main data center in Lagos, coupled with fibre cuts and vandalism of critical infrastructure in Lagos and Abuja, caused another round of severe disruptions, leaving subscribers without reliable connectivity.
As the situation unfolds, industry watchers are calling for swift regulatory intervention to address subscribers’ concerns and ensure compliance with Mobile Number Portability regulations..
