MTN Nigeria blames phone settings for data depletion

MTN Nigeria has attributed the depletion of many Nigerians' data bundles to improper phone settings and poor data management, rather than unexplained deductions. The company urged subscribers to optimise their phone settings during its Data on Trial event in Abuja, which was attended by Nairametrics. According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), total mobile subscriptions across all networks reached 197,416,694 in August 2026, up from 195,108,814 in July 2026.

MTN Nigeria's CEO, Karl Toriola, noted various factors contributing to data pricing in Nigeria, including the high operational costs such as electricity, transportation, and infrastructure maintenance. He revealed that the network spent approximately N4.05 trillion on power in the previous year. General Manager of Network Performance and Quality Assurance at MTN Nigeria, Mike Ndukwe, pointed out that video streaming, social media activities, and automatic downloads are among the factors causing rapid data depletion.

He advised subscribers to disable automatic media downloads, limit background data usage, and configure applications to download large files only over Wi-Fi. Ndukwe emphasized that data depletion primarily results from users' online activities or phone settings, not unexplained deductions. Meanwhile, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Communications, Peter Akpatason, acknowledged MTN's substantial investment in the sector but called for further investment to enhance service quality.

He also supported efforts to improve public understanding of data management and address misconceptions about the telecommunications industry. Industry statistics showed that the growth in subscriptions and rising data consumption in Nigeria are putting pressure on operators to expand their infrastructure capacity, including the deployment of additional 4G spectrum and converting older 2G and 3G sites to 4G and 5G.