Storytimes Newspapers

  In a major consumer protection move, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has proposed that telecommunications operators must give subscribers at least 14 days’ notice before deactivating their SIM cards due to inactivity or post-paid churn. The directive, contained in a fresh consultation paper titled “Stakeholders Consultation Process for the Telecoms Identity Risks Management Platform,” aims to shield millions of Nigerians from sudden loss of mobile numbers while strengthening the fight against digital identity fraud. Under the proposed amendments to the Quality-of-Service (QoS) Business Rules, operators will be required to notify affected subscribers through an alternative mobile line or email. The notice must be sent “at least 14 days before the final date for the churn of the number.” The same 14-day protection will apply to both prepaid and post-paid lines. This marks a significant shift from the current rules, which allow deactivation after six months of no Revenu...

  Nigeria's telecommunications sector continued its upward trajectory in December 2025, with total active subscriptions rising to 179.64 million from 177.43 million in November, according to the latest industry statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). This represents a month-on-month increase of approximately 2.21 million subscriptions, reflecting sustained demand for mobile and internet services across the country. National teledensity — the number of active telephone connections per 100 inhabitants — also improved significantly, climbing to 82.87% in December from 81.84% the previous month. The gain underscores growing connectivity and access to telecom services amid Nigeria's expanding digital economy. The NCC data further showed robust growth in active internet subscriptions, which increased to 148.17 million in December from 144.79 million in November. This rise was primarily driven by mobile GSM networks, highlighting the dominance of mobile br...