Many Nigerians have complained for years that their data seems to disappear without explanation. On Monday, MTN Nigeria finally put the issue under the spotlight at a “Data on Trial” forum held on the sidelines of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja.
The company pushed back strongly against claims that telecom operators are secretly deducting data. According to MTN Nigeria, the real culprits are everyday smartphone habits and app settings that quietly drain bundles in the background.
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Why Your Data Finishes Fast, According to MTN Nigeria
Mike Ndukwe, MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of Network Performance, said:
“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.”
According to him and other speakers at the forum, these are the data suckers:
1. Video Streaming at High Resolution
Platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp Status default to higher quality when your network is fast. For example, a 30-second TikTok video can use anywhere from 4MB to 40MB depending on the resolution. HD and Full HD content burn through data much faster than standard resolution.
2. Auto-play and Automatic Downloads
Many apps like Instagram and X preload videos and media so they play without buffering. If your WhatsApp is set to auto-download photos, videos, and documents, it will burn through data quickly.
3. Background Apps, Cloud Backups and App Updates
Even when you are not actively using your phone, services like iCloud, WhatsApp backups, app updates, and others often run silently in the background. Hence, they burn data too.
4. Increased Overall Internet Activity
Data consumption has risen by about 43% year-on-year as more people stream, scroll, and stay connected. Hence, the data consumption you were used to last year or the year before is not the same as this year’s.
David Ogunsola, MTN’s General Manager of IT Operations, added that the data your phone shows and what the network records can differ slightly (sometimes by 2-12%) due to how measurements and sessions are timed.
Karl Toriola, MTN Nigeria’s CEO, also said that Nigerian operators face higher costs, especially for powering and maintaining network sites, compared to many other countries. The company says it is focusing more on consumer education so people can better control their usage.
Simply put, MTN Nigeria is saying that modern phones and apps are designed to deliver rich, high-quality experiences, which come with higher data use. Hence, the reason why your data finishes fast.
Faster networks (4G and beyond) make this even more noticeable because content loads at higher resolutions by default.
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