- Dismisses Allegations Of Deliberate Data Deductions
Nigerians complaining that their internet data bundles disappear faster than expected may be losing significant portions of their subscriptions to video streaming, automatic downloads and background applications, telecommunications giant MTN Nigeria has said.
The company, while dismissing allegations that operators deliberately deduct subscribers’ data, attributed the rapid depletion largely to smartphone settings, application activity and the growing volume of digital content consumed by users.
Speaking at a forum tagged Data on Trial, held in Abuja on Monday on the sidelines of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of Network Performance, Mike Ndukwe, said data consumption was largely determined by subscribers’ online activities and device configurations.
“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,” he said.
Ndukwe explained that popular platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp could consume substantial amounts of data, depending on video quality, automatic playback, media downloads and usage patterns.
According to him, a 15-second TikTok video could consume between two and 20 megabytes, depending on its quality, while high-definition streaming uses significantly more data than standard-definition viewing.
He said many subscribers might underestimate the volume of data consumed by applications that continue downloading or refreshing content even when users are not actively interacting with them.
WhatsApp, for instance, generally uses relatively little data for text messages, but its status updates, videos, group conversations and automatic media downloads can quickly increase consumption.
“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 said.
He disclosed that WhatsApp had approximately 45 million users in Nigeria, while TikTok remained among the platforms generating substantial data traffic. He also cited figures indicating that data consumption had increased by about 43 per cent year-on-year.
The figures underscore the growing pressure on mobile networks as Nigerians increasingly depend on internet-enabled platforms for communication, entertainment, education, business and access to information.
To help subscribers manage their bundles, Ndukwe advised users to disable automatic media downloads, reduce video-streaming resolution, activate data-saving features and monitor consumption through the MyMTN application.
MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of IT Operations, David Ogunsola, said discrepancies between the data usage displayed on smartphones and figures recorded by telecommunications networks could arise from differences in measurement methods, background traffic and the timing of data sessions.
“The data that you measure on your devices is slightly different from what traverses over the network and what’s on the charge,” he said.
Ogunsola added that variations in measurement and rounding could, in some circumstances, produce differences ranging from two per cent to approximately 12 per cent.
He explained that network technology primarily determines connection speed, while the nature of the activity being performed and the settings of individual applications determine how much data is consumed.
“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 said.
The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, meanwhile, defended the cost of providing telecommunications services, citing the high expenses associated with electricity, transportation and the maintenance of network infrastructure.
Toriola said operators in Nigeria faced significant operating costs because they were responsible for providing power and transportation to telecommunications sites, adding that the company deployed equipment comparable to that used in Europe and the United States but operated under a different cost structure, particularly regarding electricity.
He said MTN was intensifying consumer education to help subscribers understand their devices and manage internet usage more effectively.
Also speaking at the event, Xiaomi Nigeria’s Northwest Sales Manager, Kevin Kojode, identified automatic software updates, cloud synchronisation, background applications and unrestricted mobile hotspot connections as other factors contributing to unexpected data depletion.
“Today, users don’t just go online, they stay online,” Kojode said.
Using a one-gigabyte subscription as an illustration, he explained how background updates, cloud backups and operating-system activities could consume data without users deliberately initiating downloads.
He advised subscribers to restrict automatic updates to Wi-Fi connections, activate data limits, monitor hotspot connections and reduce streaming quality where necessary.
Kojode also urged smartphone users to familiarise themselves with built-in data-monitoring tools and settings that restrict background activity and control data sharing.
While the explanations offered by MTN and Xiaomi highlight how digital habits and device configurations can accelerate data consumption, the concerns of subscribers over rapidly disappearing bundles remain an important consumer issue.
For users seeking better value for money, the immediate priority is to monitor application-level usage, review automatic download settings and compare device records with their operators’ consumption reports when discrepancies arise.
As internet access becomes increasingly central to everyday life and business in Nigeria, clearer communication from telecommunications operators, transparent usage records and better consumer awareness will be essential to building confidence in the country’s mobile data services.
