“Who’s eating my data?” MTN finally explains why your data disappears like jollof at a party

• MTN denied stealing subscribers' data, saying internet bundles only reduce based on users' activities or smartphone processes running in the background.

• Video streaming, auto-downloads, cloud backups and background apps were identified as the biggest reasons data gets exhausted quickly.

• MTN explained that differences of 2% to 12% can occur between data usage shown on smartphones and what is recorded by the telecom network due to different measurement methods.

• MTN and Xiaomi advised users to disable auto-downloads, restrict app updates to Wi-Fi, lower video quality and use data-saving features to make their internet bundles last longer.

If you've ever bought a data bundle in the morning and by evening you're already getting those annoying "low data balance" notifications, MTN says it's probably not because anyone is stealing your data.

The telecom giant has responded to one of the biggest complaints among Nigerian internet users, insisting that data doesn't just disappear from subscribers' accounts without a reason.

Speaking during a forum tagged "Data on Trial" held in Abuja on Monday as part of activities surrounding the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, MTN Nigeria explained that most cases of fast data depletion are caused by smartphone settings, background apps, automatic downloads and heavy video streaming.

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MTN Nigeria's General Manager of Network Performance, Mike Ndukwe, dismissed claims that telecom operators secretly deduct customers' data.

"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, many smartphone users don't realise that several applications continue consuming data even when they're not actively using them.

Apps like TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp constantly use data depending on settings such as video quality, autoplay and automatic downloads.

Ndukwe explained that watching just one 15-second TikTok video could consume anywhere between 2MB and 20MB, depending on the video's resolution. Watching videos in HD also burns through data much faster than streaming in standard definition.

Many Nigerians believe WhatsApp hardly uses data, but MTN says that's only partly true.

While regular text messages consume very little internet, features like Status updates, video sharing, voice notes, group chats and automatic media downloads can quietly eat into data bundles.

"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 noted.

He added that WhatsApp currently has around 45 million users in Nigeria, making it one of the country's biggest drivers of internet traffic alongside TikTok.

MTN also revealed that internet data consumption across its network has grown by about 43 per cent year-on-year, showing just how much Nigerians now depend on mobile internet for work, entertainment and communication.

Another issue many subscribers complain about is the difference between what their phones record and what telecom operators charge them for.

MTN's General Manager of IT Operations, David Ogunsola, explained that slight differences are normal because smartphones and telecom networks calculate internet usage differently.

"The data that you measure on your devices is slightly different from what traverses over the network and what's on the charge."

According to him, timing differences, background traffic and data measurement methods can create variations of between 2 per cent and 12 per cent.

Ogunsola also clarified that using a faster network like 4G or 5G doesn't necessarily increase data consumption.

"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."

MTN Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, also addressed concerns about internet costs in the country.

According to him, telecom operators in Nigeria spend heavily on electricity because they have to power thousands of network sites themselves, unlike operators in many developed countries that enjoy more stable public infrastructure.

"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 said the company uses network equipment similar to what is deployed in Europe and the United States but faces much higher operating costs because of unreliable electricity and logistics.

He added that MTN plans to increase consumer education so users can better understand how their phones consume data.

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Also speaking at the event, Xiaomi Nigeria's Northwest Sales Manager, Kevin Kojode, said smartphone settings play a major role in unexpected data loss.

According to him, many users remain connected to the internet all day through cloud backups, automatic software updates, app synchronisation and even hotspot connections they forget to switch off.

"Today, users don't just go online, they stay online."

Using a 1GB data plan as an example, Kojode explained that operating system updates, cloud storage synchronisation and background applications can consume significant portions of a user's subscription without them actively downloading anything.

He advised smartphone users to:

• Turn off automatic app updates on mobile data.

• Restrict cloud backups to Wi-Fi.

• Enable built-in data limits.

• Monitor hotspot usage.

• Reduce video streaming quality.

• Use data-saving modes available on most smartphones.

For many Nigerians who have long believed their network providers were secretly "eating" their data, MTN's explanation may not end the debate. However, the company insists that in most cases, it's the combination of smartphone settings, background activity and today's always-online lifestyle that's responsible for those frustratingly short-lived data bundles.