MTN Nigeria is preparing to roll out a new data tracking platform by the end of June 2026, a move aimed at addressing long-standing subscriber concerns around data consumption and perceived data depletion.
The announcement was made during the company’s “Data on Trial” event held on Saturday, where executives outlined efforts to provide greater visibility into how customers consume mobile data across applications, devices, and connected services.
The forthcoming Data Usage Platform will enable subscribers to monitor their data consumption over specific periods while providing a detailed breakdown of the applications responsible for usage. Users will also be able to view data consumed through hotspot sharing and Wi-Fi-connected devices linked to their mobile subscriptions.
According to MTN Nigeria’s Chief Customer Relations and Experience Officer, Ugonwa Nwoye, the platform is designed to answer one of the most common questions from subscribers: where exactly their data is being spent.
The portal will provide insights into data-intensive activities, including video streaming quality, streaming rates, and overall consumption patterns. By offering a granular view of usage behavior, MTN hopes to increase transparency and improve customer trust.
“This data portal will be live by the end of this month on our network,” Nwoye said during the event. “We will continue to improve it based on customer feedback and make it easier for subscribers to understand how their data is being used.”
As part of the demonstration, MTN tested the platform using real subscriber numbers. One notable example involved data linked to legal practitioner Timi Agbaje, where the platform identified significant data consumption from Firebase, a background infrastructure service commonly integrated into social media and mobile applications. The demonstration highlighted how background processes can contribute substantially to overall data usage, often without users being aware.
The launch comes at a time when Nigeria’s digital economy continues to expand rapidly. Increased smartphone adoption, remote work, digital entertainment, cloud-based services, and social media engagement have significantly raised average data consumption levels across the country.
As internet usage grows, complaints regarding rapid data depletion have become increasingly common among subscribers, placing greater pressure on telecom operators to provide clearer visibility into consumption patterns.Speaking at the event, MTN Nigeria Chief Executive Officer Karl Toriola acknowledged that data usage transparency remains one of the industry’s most discussed issues.“
Consistently, the discussion in our industry has been around how users’ data is being consumed, concerns about how quickly it drains, and what exactly consumes data,” Toriola said.
The company believes that giving subscribers access to detailed usage analytics will help demystify data consumption and foster greater confidence in its services.
Alongside the new portal, MTN continues to promote its Data Calculator, a tool designed to help subscribers estimate their expected data consumption based on online activities.
The calculator allows users to model data usage across various digital behaviors, including video streaming, social media browsing, gaming, video conferencing, and other internet-enabled services. By providing estimated daily and monthly consumption figures, the tool helps users select more suitable data plans and manage usage expectations.
Additionally, MTN subscribers can opt to receive daily data usage reports by dialing *312*500#, providing another layer of visibility into their consumption patterns.
The planned launch of the Data Usage Platform signals MTN Nigeria’s broader commitment to transparency and customer education in an increasingly data-driven economy. As data consumption becomes central to both personal and professional digital experiences, tools that provide deeper visibility into usage patterns are likely to play an important role in improving customer trust and reducing disputes around data depletion.
For subscribers, the platform could offer a clearer understanding of how applications, background services, streaming preferences, and connected devices collectively impact their monthly data spending, turning what has often been a source of frustration into actionable insight.
