NCC announce same short codes to buy data, airtime for all mobile network

Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC don direct mobile network operators to begin use di same short codes to provide certain services to telecom consumers for di kontri.

NCC say dis move dey in line wit dia approach to put consumer first.

Di initiative dey essentially to make life much easier for telecom consumers, as e go now dey easier for Nigerians to memorise single codes for various services across all mobile networks wey dem dey use.

NCC say dem wan achieve uniformity in common short codes across all networks.

Dis one mean say di code to check airtime balance na di same across all mobile networks for di same function, no mata di network wey di consumer dey use.

Wit di new codes, di telecom consumers wey dey use ova 226 million active mobile lines for di kontri, fit now use di same codes to access services across di networks.

In addition, di new policy go provide opportunity for licensees for di Value-Added Services, VAS segment of di telecoms sector to fit use di freed-up/old codes for oda services, NCC tok.

Di Commission don already set deadline of May 17, 2023, for all mobile networks to fully migrate from dia short codes to di new harmonised codes.

But consumers go still fit use di old and new harmonised short codes until di May 17, 2023 deadline.

Wetin be di new codes?

For now di commission don approve 13 common short codes.

So you go fit dial dis following codes:

300 : If you wan reach Call Centre/Help Desk on all mobile networks

301: If you wan drop voice mail for anybody

302: If you wan listen to voice mail message wey you receive

303: If you wan borrow airtime or data or any oda services wey your network dey offer.

305: To stop any service wey your network dey provide, e’g callertunez.

310: If you wan check your balance

311: To buy airtime

312: If you wan buy data plan across all networks

321: To share services

323: If you wan check your data plan balance

996: If you wan check if your SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) dey linked to your NIN

2442: na for Do-Not-Disturb (DND), if you dey get unsolicited message

3232: if you want port from one network to di oda.

Dis announcement dey come several months afta di Nigerian Communication Commission mandate all telecoms consumer to link dia mobile phone SIM card numbers to dia National Identity Number, NIN.

Di National Identification Number na wetin goment dey use establish di identity of evri Nigerian.

Tori be say na for 2020 goment introduce di policy for evri mobile phone user to register dia sim and link am to dia NIN.

Di aim of di registration na to get data base of all Nigerians.

President Muhammadu Buhari give di directive for di implementation and commencement of di exercise for December 2020, as part of di administration security and social policies.

Meanwhile di NIN-SIM registration still dey go on nationwide.