Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer NCC
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria’s telecommunication sector regulator, has announced a change in the fixed-line numbering format in compliance with its enabling law, the Nigerian Communications Commission Act of 2003.
In a statement issued by the Commission and signed by Mr. Reuben Muoka, its Director of Public Affairs, the NCC said in line with its responsibilities outlined in the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) of 2003, which governs the management of Nigeria’s numbering resources, it has introduced a new numbering format for fixed lines.
NCC said as part of this process, Nigeria’s Fixed-Line Numbering Format has been expanded from eight to ten digits by simply adding the prefix “02” before all existing fixed numbers.
The Commission said these changes are intended to clarify that existing numbers will continue to operate concurrently until the cut-over date of December 31, 2023. It stated that starting from January 1, 2024, the new numbering format, beginning with the “02” prefix, will become operational.
In other words, according to NCC, both the old and new number formats will be allowed to run concurrently until the cut-over date on December 31, 2023 after which, starting from January 1, 2024, the new fixed-line format will gain full recognition across all networks.
Clarifying further, the Commission said in the new arrangement, to call a previously existing number like 09461700, you should now dial 02094617000. Additional examples include: for Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Kano’s current number format of 014630643, 094630643, 084460643, and 064460643, respectively, will become 02014630643, 02094630643, 02084460643, and 02064460643 in the new numbering format.
The statement said the announcement was made to fulfill a key responsibility of the NCC and is in line with the practices of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations agency responsible for overseeing Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
