The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, has identified high electricity and transportation costs as major factors contributing to concerns over the cost of mobile data subscriptions in Nigeria.
Toriola said telecommunications operators in Nigeria incur substantial expenses to power and maintain network infrastructure, unlike their counterparts in countries where electricity and other operational costs are relatively lower.
He made the disclosure on Monday in Abuja during MTN’s Data on Trial experience, an initiative designed to educate subscribers on data consumption, pricing and effective management of mobile internet services.
Responding to questions from subscribers at the event, hosted by Big Brother Naija presenter Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Toriola said MTN deployed similar equipment and provided comparable services to those available in advanced telecommunications markets, including the United Kingdom, but operated under different cost conditions.
He cited the company’s expenditure on power and transportation to network sites, putting the figure at ₦4.05 trillion last year.
According to him, the cost of maintaining telecommunications infrastructure in Nigeria remains a major operational challenge, particularly because operators must provide electricity and transportation support to their network sites.
“Even within the context of data being perceived as more expensive in Nigeria, the UK was the example I was giving. Please understand that in this country, as well as a few other African countries, we are providing power and transportation to all our sites,” he said.
Toriola explained that these expenses contributed to the difference between operating telecommunications networks in Nigeria and in countries such as the UK.
He maintained that MTN was not using inferior technology in Nigeria, stressing that the company deployed the same equipment and products available to operators in foreign markets.
“We are providing the exact same equipment, the exact same products that those foreign operators are using,” he added.
The MTN chief executive said the Data on Trial initiative was also intended to help subscribers understand how their mobile applications, device settings and internet usage habits influence the rate at which their data subscriptions are depleted.
At the event, MTN officials demonstrated how applications such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook consume data, addressing subscribers’ complaints about the rapid exhaustion of purchased data bundles.
The company’s General Manager of Network Performance and Quality Assurance, Michael Ndukwe, alongside members of its information technology support team, explained how different applications use mobile data and demonstrated ways customers could monitor and manage their consumption.
MTN urged subscribers to review their device settings and adopt appropriate data-management practices to reduce unnecessary consumption.
Meanwhile, the Cable Fact Checker team presented findings indicating that MTN’s data services in Nigeria were cheaper than those in several other African countries, citing data from 2023 and 2026.
The presentation formed part of efforts to address widespread perceptions that Nigerian subscribers pay more for mobile data than consumers in other countries.
The head prosecutor representing subscribers at the event, Ekito Labo-Albert, raised concerns about rapid data depletion, prompting further explanations from MTN’s technical team.
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Communications, Peter Akpatason, commended MTN for organising the initiative, describing it as an opportunity for consumers to gain a better understanding of data management and the factors influencing their internet experience.
Akpatason said the engagement provided an avenue for the company to address misconceptions surrounding data pricing and consumption.
He noted that many Nigerians believed data subscriptions were more expensive in the country than elsewhere, but said the presentations at the event offered a different perspective on the issue.
According to him, the initiative would help subscribers understand how their data was managed and identify practices that could lead to unnecessary consumption.
He also praised the engagement for promoting transparency between telecommunications operators and their customers.
The Data on Trial experience brought MTN officials and subscribers together to examine complaints about data depletion, explain usage patterns and provide practical guidance on managing mobile internet subscriptions.
