Rapid data depletion remains a persistent source of complaints among Nigerian mobile subscribers, with the country’s four major network operators recording 23,396 complaints over data bundles being exhausted between January and June 2026, according to new data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
MTN Nigeria recorded the highest number of complaints at 12,212, representing about 52.2 percent of the total, followed by Airtel Nigeria with 9,806. Globacom recorded 1,373 complaints, while T2mobile, formerly known as 9mobile, recorded just five.
Together, MTN and Airtel accounted for 22,018 complaints, or about 94 percent of all data depletion complaints recorded across the four operators during the six-month period.
The figures form part of a broader NCC consumer complaints report which showed that Airtel, MTN, Globacom and T2mobile received 413,587 complaints across various categories in the first half of the year. Data depletion accounted for about 5.7 percent of the total.
For many subscribers, the concern is familiar. A data bundle purchased for browsing, messaging, social media or streaming can sometimes appear to disappear much sooner than expected, prompting questions about how the allocation was consumed.
The issue has generated complaints across customer care channels and social media platforms, with some subscribers questioning whether their data is being deducted correctly.
Telecom operators have rejected claims that subscribers’ data is being arbitrarily deducted, pointing instead to device settings, background applications and data-intensive activities as some of the factors that can accelerate consumption.
The NCC has similarly urged subscribers to pay closer attention to how their devices and applications consume data, particularly as faster internet speeds allow users to perform more data-intensive activities within shorter periods.
Activities such as high-definition video streaming, automatic video playback, background synchronisation, cloud backups and application updates can consume substantial amounts of data, including when users are not actively engaging with those services.
The commission has also advised consumers who notice unusual data consumption to request their usage history or statement from their network provider to establish how their bundle was consumed. Subscribers who are not satisfied with the response from their operators can escalate their complaints to the NCC.
MTN and Airtel have also used consumer engagement initiatives to explain data consumption and provide subscribers with tools for monitoring their usage. These include usage reports, data calculators and other monitoring features designed to give customers greater visibility into how their bundles are being consumed.
The continued volume of complaints, however, shows that rapid data depletion remains a source of friction between subscribers and network operators.
Complaint figures broadly follow subscriber base
The distribution of data depletion complaints broadly corresponds with the size of the operators’ subscriber bases.
As of July 2026, MTN remained Nigeria’s largest mobile operator with 100.9 million subscribers, followed by Airtel with 66.76 million and Globacom with 23.63 million. T2mobile had 3.61 million subscribers.
MTN’s 12,212 data depletion complaints therefore came from the country’s largest subscriber base, while Airtel’s 9,806 complaints came from the second-largest.
The figures, however, do not by themselves establish that subscribers on either network experience data depletion more frequently. The NCC data represents complaints received by the operators rather than the proportion of subscribers who experienced or reported the problem.
T2mobile’s five data depletion complaints stand out against the figures recorded by the other operators, although its much smaller subscriber base provides important context.
Beyond data depletion, the four operators recorded complaints relating to service quality, billing, failed transactions and other issues during the first half of the year.
Airtel recorded the highest overall number of complaints at 228,992, followed by MTN with 124,405, Globacom with 56,810 and T2mobile with 3,885.
The operators collectively resolved 406,938 of the 413,587 complaints, representing a resolution rate of 98.38 percent. Airtel recorded a 99.38 percent resolution rate, followed by Globacom at 99.04 percent, MTN at 96.57 percent and T2mobile at 88.57 percent.
The data depletion figures highlight a more specific concern for subscribers as mobile internet becomes increasingly central to everyday digital activities.
The continued complaints put greater focus on how clearly consumers can track what is consuming their data and verify their usage when a bundle appears to have been exhausted faster than expected.
