Some 28.9 million telephone lines, out of a total of 124.8 million lines that were connected in Nigeria by 31 December 2011, are inactive, according to an investigation published on Sunday by the private Punch newspaper.
The figure represents 23.17 per cent of the subscriber base, the paper said, quoting statistics obtained from the regulatory Nigerian Communications Commission in the capital city of Abuja.
As expected, Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) operators accounted for most of the lines both in the active and inactive categories.
According to the data, a total of 109.8 million GSM lines had been connected by 31 Dec, 2011, out of which 90.5 million were active.
Mobile services offered by Code Division Multiple Division (CDMA) operators accounted for higher rate in inactive lines.
Out of 12.2 million lines that had been connected by the date, only 4.6 million were active, representing 63.74% per cent rate, against 17.53% recorded by GSM operators.
The paper said its investigation reveals that the high rate of inactivity in lines provided by network operators in the country is due to poor services rendered by some operators, which forced many to abandon their lines rather than carry telephones that do not work.
It also sighted the high rates of promotions targeted at attracting new subscribers, among others
