Prefix for All Nigerian Phone Numbers

It’s great to know that numerous network providers in Nigeria enable people to communicate with each other through the use of a phone number.

In Nigeria, the first digits of a mobile phone number are either 0706, 0807, 0812, 0909, or 0912, and the remainder is always seven (7).

This piece is a helpful resource that provides a comprehensive list of telephone operating companies in Nigeria and their corresponding phone number prefixes, such as 0703, 0802, etc.

As of late, I’ve had trouble identifying the networks that own specific numbers that have been calling me. These numbers always start with an unfamiliar prefix, making it difficult to answer them. I thought I was alone in this until I overheard a bunch of individuals discussing it. Really, that surprised me.

So, to help you avoid the stress of calling each network provider’s customer care representatives to confirm their phone number prefixes, I’ve compiled a list of network providers in Nigeria and their corresponding phone number prefixes. Read on!

Also see: Tigo Ghana Internet Bundles and Settings

What is a phone number prefix?

You might have wondered what the phrase “phone number prefix“ means. It simply means the first four digits you see at the beginning of every phone number, which are used to identify a particular network service provider against the others.

To illustrate, consider the following phone number: 0703-970-2667; the first four digits of this number are the prefix, and from there, you can tell which network provider owns the number.

All Nigerian Phone Number Prefixes

The following prefixes are assigned to mobile phone network operators in Nigeria:

MTN Nigeria Phone Number Prefixes

• 0703
• 0706
• 0803
• 0806
• 0810
• 0813
• 0814
• 0816
• 0903
• 0906
• 0913
• 0916

MTN Nigeria (formerly Visafone) Phone Number Prefixes

• 07025
• 07026
• 0704

9Mobile (formerly Etisalat Nigeria) Phone Number Prefixes

• 0809
• 0817
• 0818
• 0909
• 0908

Airtel Nigeria Phone Number Prefixes

• 0701
• 0708
• 0802
• 0808
• 0812
• 0901
• 0902
• 0904
• 0907
• 0912
• 0911

Globacom (popularly known as GLO) Phone Number Prefixes

• 0705
• 0805
• 0807
• 0811
• 0815
• 0905
• 0915

Multi-Links Telkom (Multi-links Telecommunications Limited) Phone Number Prefixes

• 07027
• 0709

Ntel Phone Number Prefix

• 0804

Smile Phone Number Prefix

• 07020

Starcomms Phone Number Prefixes

• 07028
• 07029
• 0819

ZoomMobile (formerly Reltel) Phone Number Prefix

• 0707

Note: Mobile Number Portability (MNP) was introduced in Nigeria in 2013. As a result, prefixes can no longer be relied upon to identify the specific network provider or carrier that a given phone number belongs to.

List of Telephone Operating Companies in Nigeria

Fixed-Line Operators:

1. NITEL
2. Starcomms

Mobile Operators:

1. 9Mobile (formerly Etisalat Nigeria)
2. Airtel Nigeria
3. Globacom (popularly known as GLO)
4. MTN Nigeria
5. MTN Nigeria (formerly Visafone)
6. Multi-Links Telkom (Multi-links Telecommunications Limited)
7. Ntel
8. Smile
9. Starcomms
10. ZoomMobile (formerly Reltel)

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