MTN battles subscriber anger with data transparency portal, N1trn expansion blueprint

MTN Nigeria has pledged to invest N1 trillion in network expansion this year while introducing new tools to help subscribers understand how their mobile data is consumed, as complaints over poor service quality and rapid data depletion continue to dominate consumer discussions.

The commitment was made at a stakeholder engagement forum tagged “Data on Trial” held in Lagos, where senior executives of the telecommunications company responded to questions from journalists, digital creators, influencers and customers on network performance, data consumption and pricing.

The event brought together Karl Toriola, MTN chief executive officer; Yahaya Ibrahim, chief technical officer; Ugonwa Nwoye, chief customer relations and experience officer and other senior executives who faced intense questioning over issues that have generated widespread debate among subscribers.

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At the centre of the discussions was the long-standing complaint that data bundles are exhausted faster than expected.

To address the concern, MTN announced plans to launch a self-service data usage portal within the MTN application before the end of the month. The platform will allow subscribers to track how their data is being consumed across applications and connected devices.

According to Nwoye, the portal functions like a black box for mobile data, giving customers visibility into what applications consume the most data and helping them identify background activities that may be draining their subscriptions.

The move comes as telecom operators face increasing pressure from consumers who argue that rising data prices should be matched by greater transparency and improved service quality.

During the forum, MTN executives sought to demonstrate that modern smartphones, applications and user behaviour play a bigger role in data consumption than many subscribers realize.

Toriola shared examples from within MTN itself. He revealed that a senior executive who complained about excessive data usage later discovered that a WhatsApp backup of between 126GB and 156GB had been automatically running every night.

In another case, a general manager who believed her router was consuming data unusually fast found that children in the household were streaming high-definition YouTube content around the clock.

The examples were used to illustrate how automatic backups, cloud synchronization, software updates and video streaming can significantly increase data consumption without users being fully aware.

Executives also explained that the shift to faster technologies such as 4G and 5G is changing the way data is consumed.

According to Ibrahim, higher-speed networks allow applications such as YouTube, Netflix and TikTok to automatically deliver content at higher resolutions. As a result, subscribers consume more data within a shorter period because the applications are optimized to provide better viewing experiences.

For instance, a video watched in high definition can consume several times more data than the same video viewed in standard definition, while ultra-high-definition formats such as 4K require even more bandwidth.

The company argued that the perception of faster data depletion is partly linked to the growing use of video-based applications. MTN estimates that platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp account for a large share of internet traffic in Nigeria.

Beyond data usage concerns, subscribers also questioned why network quality has not improved significantly despite recent tariff adjustments.

Responding to the criticism, Ibrahim acknowledged that customers continue to experience service challenges and apologized for poor user experiences.

He said network quality remains MTN’s highest priority but stressed that maintaining a nationwide telecommunications network requires continuous investment.

“We have to keep upgrading the network. We have to keep investing as people use the network,” he said.

According to him, MTN spent about N900 billion on network expansion and modernization in 2025 and plans to increase that figure to over N1 trillion in 2026.

The investment will cover radio network upgrades, transmission infrastructure, fibre expansion and capacity improvements needed to support rising demand for digital services.

Industry analysts say the planned spending reflects the growing pressure on operators to keep pace with Nigeria’s exploding appetite for data.

The country has witnessed rapid growth in video streaming, social media usage, online gaming, cloud services and remote work, all of which place additional demands on telecom infrastructure.

However, MTN executives insisted that investment alone cannot eliminate all service disruptions.

Toriola noted that telecom operators face significant environmental and operational challenges, including vandalism, theft of equipment, fibre cuts and regulatory bottlenecks.

He cited a recent incident in Lagos where a fire set inside a telecom manhole disrupted services across a wide area. He also noted that road construction activities frequently damage fibre-optic cables, leading to outages that affect thousands of customers.

“No operator can guarantee 100 per cent network quality,” Toriola said, pointing to the realities of operating in Nigeria’s infrastructure environment.

The CEO also defended recent pricing adjustments in the industry, arguing that operators were under severe financial pressure before tariff increases were approved.

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According to him, rising costs for diesel, site rentals, power and software licences had pushed operators to a point where sustaining network operations became increasingly difficult.

Despite the price increases, he maintained that mobile data in Nigeria remains among the cheapest globally when compared with many other markets.

The forum also addressed calls for unlimited mobile data plans. MTN executives explained that mobile networks operate on finite spectrum resources and cannot support unlimited usage for all subscribers without affecting service quality.

Instead, the company said it would continue expanding its FibreX broadband network to more homes, offering customers access to higher-capacity connections better suited for heavy streaming, gaming and cloud-based services.

The discussions highlighted a growing challenge facing Nigeria’s telecom sector. As networks become faster and digital lifestyles become more data-intensive, operators must not only expand infrastructure but also educate consumers about how modern applications consume data.

For MTN, the launch of a data-tracking portal represents an attempt to bridge that information gap.

Whether the initiative will reduce consumer skepticism remains to be seen, but the company is betting that greater transparency, combined with record network investment, can help rebuild trust among subscribers increasingly concerned about both service quality and the cost of staying connected.