Why mobile data finishes quickly — MTN explains

The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, has explained why subscribers often experience rapid data depletion, attributing the situation partly to how mobile applications consume data and the settings on users’ devices.

Toriola spoke at the Data on Trial experience held in Abuja on Monday, where MTN officials demonstrated how applications such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook use mobile data and offered subscribers tips on managing their consumption.

The event, hosted by popular Big Brother Naija presenter Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, provided subscribers with an opportunity to question the telecommunications company about their complaints over data depletion, pricing and the management of their subscriptions.

Responding to concerns raised by subscribers, MTN’s General Manager of Network Performance and Quality Assurance, Michael Ndukwe, alongside members of the company’s information technology support team, demonstrated how mobile applications consume data and how users could monitor and manage their usage.

The company urged subscribers to adjust their mobile device settings appropriately and pay attention to their application usage to reduce unnecessary data consumption.

The initiative was designed to address persistent concerns among Nigerian subscribers about how quickly their data subscriptions are exhausted, with MTN seeking to explain the factors that influence consumption and how users can exercise greater control over their usage.

Beyond data consumption, MTN Nigeria’s CEO, Toriola, also addressed complaints about the perceived high cost of data subscriptions in the country, attributing the company’s operating expenses partly to the cost of electricity and transportation to its network sites.

He disclosed that MTN spent about N4.05 trillion on power and transportation last year, explaining that telecommunications operators in Nigeria face higher operating costs than their counterparts in some foreign markets.

“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 environments.

Meanwhile, the Cable Fact Checker team at the event presented findings indicating that MTN’s data services in Nigeria were cheaper than those in several other African countries, citing data from 2023 and 2026.

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The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Communications, Peter Akpatason, commended MTN for organising the initiative, saying it would help subscribers understand data management and address misconceptions about the company’s services.

He described the event as an opportunity for consumers to learn how their data was used and identify practices that could lead to unnecessary depletion.

“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 event brought together subscribers who questioned MTN about its data services and how their subscriptions are managed. The Data on Trial initiative was previously held in Lagos on 6 June 2026.