NCC introduces 10-digit format for fixed phone lines in Nigeria
…Transition period allows old and new formats to coexist until December 31
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has rolled out a significant change to the nation’s fixed phone lines numbering format, introducing a 10-digit system.
The shift entails the addition of the “02” prefix before the existing fixed numbers, rendering the traditional 8-digit format obsolete, with a looming deadline for the transition.
In an official statement, the NCC has outlined the modification and clarified that the existing numbers will remain functional in parallel with the new format until the cutoff date of December 31, 2023.
The statement has it that, commencing from January 1, 2024, the new numbering format, commencing with the “02” prefix, will become fully operational.
NCC said that the coexistence of both old and new number formats until December 31, 2023, will allow users to adapt gradually.
According to NCC, after this transition period, which adheres to international standards established by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations authority overseeing Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), the new 10-digit fixed-lines format will become the standard across all networks.
NCC furthered that to illustrate the transformation, consider the previous number 09461700, which will now be dialed as 02094617000 in the new format, “Additional examples are: For Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano’s current number format of 014630643, 094630643, 084460643 and 064460643, will now be 02014630643, 02094630643, 02084460643 and 02064460643 respectively in the new numbering format.
It is crucial to note that this alteration exclusively pertains to Fixed Telephone Numbers, and there will be no changes to the existing mobile numbering format.
