The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has recently announced a new set of conditions for Mobile Number Portability (MNP); a move which the authorities believe is aimed at improving overall telecom services in the country.

About the new set of MNP conditions, the NCC said that the process of porting of mobile numbers by the subscribers will require them to swap their SIM cards from the old mobile service provider for the new provider's SIM cards.

The `new MNP conditions' move by the NCC has apparently come as a result of a controversy which the telecom industry experienced late last year, after the regulator stated that mobile service providers had failed to follow through on their promises of securing services to customers.

Expressing the hope that the Nigerian mobile operators would enter into a discussion on the MNP issue, the NCC said that it has posted its draft MNP 2013 regulations on its website, and has invited comments - by March 4 - from the public as well as all interested stakeholders.

Noting that the regulations will be applicable to all telecom operators in the country, the NCC said that customers must initiate porting with "a physical visit to the new operator's sale point;" and added: "The new operator should inform the customer of the industry agreed port activation lead times and agree with her or him the actual porting time and date applicable to her or his particular order type."