Why Nigerians’ Data Finishes Fast — MTN

Leading telecommunications operator MTN Nigeria has clarified that the quick exhaustion of mobile internet subscriptions experienced by many customers stems from high-definition video streaming, background software refreshes, automated media downloads, and cloud sync features, refuting claims that network providers unfairly drain subscriber data balances.

The service provider indicated that numerous smartphone owners unwittingly burn through significant internet volume due to background system settings and active mobile applications running continuously without explicit user intervention.

Addressing participants at the Data on Trial industry forum organized in Abuja on Monday during the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of Network Performance, Mike Ndukwe, emphasized that data depletion is directly tied to user choices and mobile device parameters.

We’re not stealing your data. However, we completely understand how it feels, especially right now, where every amount counts. But the honest answer is that data is not taken without an action, either your action or your phone, Ndukwe stated.

Ndukwe pointed out that popular social media platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp demand fluctuating levels of bandwidth depending on video output resolution, auto-play configurations, and background content refreshes.

He noted that viewing a short 15-second video on TikTok alone can eat up anywhere between two and 20 megabytes based on resolution settings, whereas high-definition video streams demand significantly greater data capacity compared to standard playback modes.

While standard text messages sent via WhatsApp draw minimal data, Ndukwe warned that viewing user statuses, transmitting video files, participating in busy group chats, and leaving automatic download features turned on can deplete internet bundles far quicker than customers expect.

If your WhatsApp is set on auto-download, straight away it hits your data bundle. And that is where you can optimise some of your settings, Ndukwe observed.

According to figures shared by the telecom executive, WhatsApp maintains approximately 45 million subscribers across Nigeria, while TikTok continues to drive a major portion of overall internet traffic, contributing to a year-on-year surge in national data usage of nearly 43 per cent.

To help manage consumption, subscribers are encouraged to turn off automatic media downloads, reduce video playback resolutions, turn on data saver modes, and track usage through official self-service mobile applications like MyMTN.

Elaborating on technical aspects, MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of IT Operations, David Ogunsola, addressed minor discrepancies between usage recorded directly on mobile handsets and network billing systems, explaining that differences arise from data packet processing, background network traffic, and session measurement methods.

The data that you measure on your devices is slightly different from what traverses over the network and what’s on the charge, Ogunsola explained, highlighting that such technical variances typically range between two and 12 per cent under certain conditions.

The network type that you are on, whether it’s 3G or 4G, just like Mike also explained earlier, would determine not how much data you use, but how fast you’re able to do what it is that you want to do, he noted.

Defending telecom tariffs and operational expenditure, Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, emphasized the heavy costs incurred to power and maintain base stations nationwide.

Please understand that this country, as well as a few other African countries, we are providing power and transportation to all of our sites, Toriola remarked, noting that despite higher local operational costs, Nigerian networks utilize infrastructure equivalent to that used across Western markets.

Echoing these views, Kevin Kojode, Northwest Sales Manager at Xiaomi Nigeria, stressed that modern smartphone architectures are built to maintain continuous background connections.

Today, users don’t just go online, they stay online, Kojode stated, advising phone owners to limit operating system updates to Wi-Fi connections, establish daily data thresholds, and restrict portable hotspot usage to protect their internet subscriptions.