MTN Nigeria has blamed the failure to optimise mobile phone settings and manage data consumption for the unnecessary depletion of many Nigerians’ data bundles.
The company called for optimising phone settings during its Data on Trial experience, organised by MTN Nigeria on Monday in Abuja and attended by Nairametrics.
Nairametrics reports that industry statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and updated as of October 12, 2026, showed that total mobile subscriptions across the four networks, including Airtel, Globacom and T2, stood at 197,416,694 in August up from 195,108,814 in July 2026.
MTN highlights operational costs
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTN Nigeria, Mr Karl Toriola, highlighted several factors contributing to data pricing in Nigeria, including the operational costs faced by mobile telecommunications operators.
He stressed that operators incur significant expenses in providing electricity, transportation and other infrastructure required to maintain telecommunications sites.
According to him, MTN spent about N4.05 trillion on power in the preceding year.
- “Even within the context of data being perceived as more expensive in Nigeria, the UK is the example I was giving.
- “Please, understand that in this country, as well as some other African countries, we are providing power and transportation to all our sites.
- “The cost of electricity, for instance, is higher here than in the UK,” he said.
For his part, the General Manager of Network Performance and Quality Assurance at MTN Nigeria, Mr Mike Ndukwe, said video streaming, social media activities and automatic downloads were among the factors contributing to rapid data depletion.
He advised subscribers to disable automatic media downloads in their phone settings, restrict background data usage and configure applications to download large files only when connected to Wi-Fi.
The official argued that data depletion generally results from alleged users’ online activities or phone settings rather than unexplained deductions.
He urged subscribers to understand how their devices and applications consume data.
There is room for improvement — Reps
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Communications, Mr Peter Akpatason, said that despite MTN’s significant investment in the telecommunications sector, there was room for further investment aimed at improving service quality.
He described initiatives aimed at improving public understanding of data management and addressing misconceptions about the telecommunications industry as worthwhile.
What you should know
Nairametrics reports that the growth in subscriptions and rising data consumption in Nigeria are putting pressure on telecommunications operators to invest more in expanding their infrastructure capacity.
- In response to this challenge, the NCC disclosed that telecommunications operators had committed to upgrading 12,000 sites in 2026 to improve service quality across the country.
- According to the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Dr Aminu Maida, operators carried out just over 3,000 site upgrades for coverage and capacity in 2025. However, with a commitment to upgrade 12,000 sites in 2026, they are ramping up infrastructure investments and network expansion.
He explained that the upgrades include additional spectrum deployment on 4G sites, as well as the conversion of older 2G and 3G sites to 4G and 5G infrastructure.
Maida noted that the current pace of deployment shows that the industry is already ahead of last year’s performance.