MTN Accounts for Over Half of Data Depletion Complaints in Nigeria

MTN received 12,212 complaints from angry customers whose internet data vanished quickly during the first 6 months of the year.

The official figures were published on September 28, 2026, in a new telecom report released by the Nigerian Communications Commission.

The official records show that Nigerian mobile phone users submitted over 23,000 total complaints about fast-disappearing internet data between January and June 2026.

Out of all the complaints reported across all network companies, MTN alone accounted for 52% of the total cases.

Competitor network Airtel followed closely behind with 9,806 complaints, while Globacom recorded 1,373 complaints, and T2mobile received only five reports.

Understanding why so many everyday citizens are complaining comes down to how fast internet credit disappears without clear explanation.

Millions of Nigerians who buy weekly and monthly internet data bundles complain that their data balances drain rapidly even when they are not watching videos or downloading heavy files.

With high prices of goods making life tough for families across the country, spending hard-earned money on phone credit only to watch it vanish in a few hours makes customers feel cheated and angry.

Explaining why publishing these official customer figures is important for protecting citizens, officials at the Nigerian Communications Commission stated that releasing complaint records gives the public clear visibility into how network providers behave.

Regulator representatives explained that publishing the numbers provides “insight into complaint trends, service quality issues, compliance with regulatory obligations, and service providers’ responsiveness.”

Addressing why MTN receives the highest number of complaints among all telecom businesses, industry analysts from the official report noted that MTN’s massive customer size naturally brings higher numbers of reports.

Commentators explained that “MTN Nigeria has faced the most backlash, an expected scenario, as the leading mobile network operator by subscribers,” since the company currently serves over 100 million active lines across the nation.

Data loss is just one part of a larger frustration among phone users. Overall, Nigerians filed over 413,000 complaints covering bad call quality, payment errors, and poor network signals during the same period.

While network operators claim they successfully resolved over 96% of the reported issues, everyday citizens are demanding clearer, simpler data tracking tools so they can see exactly where every megabyte goes.