A total of 98.8 million mobile lines connected to the networks of MTN, Glo, Airtel, and 9mobile have become inactive as of July 2022, data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed. As of April, this year, the number of inactive lines across the networks stood at 94 million, indicating that over 4 million lines have been abandoned between May and July.
A mobile line is considered to be inactive if it is not used by the subscriber to make or receive calls and/or access data services for 90 days, at the minimum. Such lines are separated from active lines as they generate no revenue for telecom operators within the stated period.
Although there has always been a record of inactive lines for years now, the number continues to increase since the beginning of the mandatory linking of National Identification Number (NIN) with SIMs and the government’s directive to bar unlinked lines effective from April.