MTN Nigeria has explained why subscribers may experience rapid data depletion, blaming factors such as mobile application usage and device settings.
The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, spoke at the Data on Trial experience held in Abuja on Monday, where MTN demonstrated how applications such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook consume mobile data.
Hosted by Big Brother Naija presenter Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, the event gave subscribers an opportunity to question the telecommunications company about data depletion, subscription prices and how their data is managed.
MTN’s General Manager of Network Performance and Quality Assurance, Michael Ndukwe, alongside the company’s information technology support team, demonstrated how applications consume data and how users can monitor their usage.
The company advised subscribers to review their device settings and pay attention to application activity to reduce unnecessary data consumption.
The initiative comes amid persistent complaints from Nigerian subscribers about how quickly their data bundles run out. MTN said the event was intended to help customers understand the factors affecting consumption and take greater control of their data usage.
Why MTN says data is expensive in Nigeria
Beyond data consumption, Toriola addressed complaints about the cost of internet subscriptions, citing high operating expenses, particularly electricity and transportation to network sites.
He disclosed that MTN spent about ₦4.05 trillion on power and transportation last year, saying telecommunications operators in Nigeria face higher operating costs than some of their counterparts abroad.
“Please understand that in this country, as well as a few other African countries, we are providing power and transportation to all our sites. That is all happening at a cost of electricity that is much higher than in the UK,” Toriola said.
He added that MTN uses the same equipment and products as telecommunications operators in countries such as the United Kingdom, despite differences in operating conditions.
Meanwhile, TheCable Fact Checker team presented findings at the event indicating that MTN’s data services in Nigeria were cheaper than those in several other African countries. The presentation cited data from 2023 and 2026.
House of Representatives committee chairman reacts
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Communications, Peter Akpatason, commended MTN for organising the event, saying it could help subscribers better understand data management and address misconceptions about the company’s services.
He described the initiative as an opportunity for consumers to learn how their subscriptions are used and identify practices that could lead to unnecessary data consumption.
“It’s an event organised by MTN to show how transparently they manage the data that Nigerian consumers subscribe to. It’s such a wonderful one,” Akpatason told Nigerian Newssphere after the event.
The gathering brought together subscribers who questioned MTN about its data services and the management of their subscriptions.
The Data on Trial initiative was previously held in Lagos on June 6, 2026.
