NIGERIA · LISTED COMPANY
Key Facts
- —The country Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country, and its mobile networks served about 197 million subscriptions in August 2026.
- —What happened At an Abuja event on Monday 26 October 2026, MTN Nigeria said lost data comes from phone settings and app habits, Nairametrics reported.
- —The company MTN Nigeria is the country’s largest mobile operator and is majority-owned by South Africa’s MTN Group, which is listed in Johannesburg.
- —The advice MTN’s network chief told users to switch off automatic media downloads, limit background data and save big downloads for Wi-Fi.
- —The regulator The Nigerian Communications Commission, the state telecom regulator, counted 197,416,694 subscriptions in August, up from 195,108,814 in July.
- —The money MTN Nigeria earned N2.99 trillion (about US$2.2 billion) in the first half of 2026 and plans N1 trillion (about US$739 million) of network spending.
- —Still open MTN has not published how many complaints it traced to phone settings, and no audit of the claim is known.
MTN Nigeria, the country’s biggest phone company, says subscribers lose data to phone settings and app habits, not hidden charges. The company made the case at a ‘Data on Trial’ event in Abuja on Monday 26 October 2026, Nairametrics reported.
For American investors in MTN Group and firms selling to Nigeria’s 197 million mobile subscriptions, the dispute decides how much trust the operator can win. Nigerian lawmakers are already pressing MTN over service quality, and its chief executive was due before a House committee on Wednesday 28 October.
What MTN Said in Abuja
MTN Nigeria ran the session in Abuja on Monday 26 October, part of a ‘Data on Trial’ series where customers question its billing. Mike Ndukwe, its general manager for network performance and quality assurance, said video streaming, social media and automatic downloads make data vanish fast.
He argued that depletion usually comes from what users do on their phones, not unexplained deductions. Peter Akpatason, who chairs the House Committee on Communications, said there is room for more investment and called MTN’s data-education drive worthwhile.
How Phone Settings Drain Data
Ndukwe told subscribers to turn off automatic media downloads, restrict background data and download large files only over Wi-Fi. Many apps keep loading video and updates in the background, so a phone can use data while it sits in a pocket.
The telecom regulator gave the same advice on 22 May 2026, naming streaming, auto-downloads and background apps as the main causes, Techeconomy reported. Its guide shows Android and iPhone users how to switch off background data and turn on a data saver mode.
The Complaints Behind the Event
The regulator logged 413,587 complaints in the first half of 2026, 124,405 against MTN, as the Rio Times reported on the House summons. In May activist Omoyele Sowore led dozens of people to MTN’s Abuja headquarters under the banner ‘Occupy MTN’, the ICIR reported.
The regulator approved a 50% rise in telecom tariffs in January 2025, the first since 2013, ITWeb reported. Consumers and the Nigeria Labour Congress, the country’s main union federation, criticised the increase.
What MTN Has Done So Far
At the first ‘Data on Trial’ forum in Lagos in early June, MTN showed a Data Analyser Portal that lets subscribers track their own usage. The auditor KPMG confirmed that the portal’s figures match MTN’s billing systems, and the regulator reviewed it, the ICIR and ITEdge News reported.
MTN said it would build the portal into its MyMTN app and run a nationwide data test with the Lagos Business School. In September the series moved to Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, where students played prosecutors and MTN staff defended the company, Techeconomy reported.
The Cost of Running the Network
Chief executive Karl Toriola said MTN provides power and transport to all sites, and electricity costs more in Nigeria than in Britain. Techeconomy reported that MTN spent about N29.75 billion (about US$22 million) on diesel in the first half of 2026.
In Lagos Toriola said MTN spent N900 billion (about US$665 million) on its network in 2025, and plans N1 trillion (about US$739 million) in 2026. Aminu Maida, the regulator’s chief, said operators finished just over 3,000 site upgrades in 2025 and have committed to 12,000 in 2026.
Who Is Behind MTN Nigeria
MTN Nigeria is the local arm of MTN Group, a Johannesburg-listed company that runs mobile networks across Africa and the Middle East. Its first-half 2026 revenue was N2.99 trillion (about US$2.2 billion), as the Rio Times covered in its report on MTN’s half-year results.
Readers can find the group’s background and share data in the Rio Times MTN Group profile. The Rio Times also reported that MTN passed 100 million subscribers in Nigeria.
What It Means for US Readers
Nigeria is one of MTN Group’s largest markets, so a fight over data trust can weigh on the group’s earnings outlook. Investors should watch whether the regulator and parliament accept MTN’s explanation or push for refunds and tougher billing rules.
US companies that sell apps, streaming or payment services in Nigeria depend on cheap, reliable mobile data. Travelers with a Nigerian SIM card can protect their data by turning off background refresh and automatic app updates until they reach Wi-Fi.
What Is Not Known
MTN has not said how many of the complaints it examined were caused by phone settings and how many by billing or network faults. It is also unclear whether the regulator will test the claim with its own audit.
The House committee has not said what it will ask MTN at Wednesday’s hearing. It is not known whether MTN’s usage portal is live inside the MyMTN app for every subscriber.
More: Nigeria news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does mobile data finish so fast?
MTN Nigeria says video streaming, social media, automatic downloads and background apps use data quickly. The regulator gives the same list of causes.
What did MTN Nigeria tell customers to do?
MTN’s network chief advised customers to disable automatic media downloads and restrict background data. He also told them to download large files only over Wi-Fi.
Is the regulator involved?
Yes, the Nigerian Communications Commission reviewed MTN’s usage portal and has published its own data-saving advice. It also logged 413,587 complaints against operators in the first half of 2026.
How much does MTN Nigeria spend on its network?
MTN says it spent N900 billion (about US$665 million) on network expansion in 2025 and plans N1 trillion (about US$739 million) in 2026. Its first-half 2026 revenue was N2.99 trillion (about US$2.2 billion).
Does this matter to US investors?
MTN Group owns most of MTN Nigeria and lists in Johannesburg, so trouble in Nigeria can hit group earnings. US investors who hold African telecom shares watch the Nigerian regulator closely.
Sources: Nairametrics, MTN Nigeria blames phone settings for data depletion, 27 October 2026; ICIR, MTN blames users’ digital habits for rapid data depletion, 7 June 2026; ITEdge News, MTN Nigeria puts data billing on trial, 8 June 2026; Techeconomy, NCC advisory: take control of your mobile data, 26 May 2026; Techeconomy, Inside MTN Nigeria’s 3 trillion revenue and the cost of powering a digital nation, 10 August 2026; TheCable, MTN to tackle data depletion complaints with monitoring portal, June 2026; ITWeb, MTN Nigeria defends data pricing, 8 June 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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