MTN Nigeria to hold public inquiry on data depletion complaints by June 6

Leading telecoms operator MTN Nigeria has announced a public inquiry that seeks to interrogate its mobile data mechanisms and how it works from its end. The inquiry is set for Saturday, June 6, at a yet-to-be-disclosed venue. 

The development comes in light of ongoing concerns that telcos are not fair with data rate deductions from their end. Some subscribers are of the notion that telcos might be depleting customers’ data to impact their revenue.

In a statement by MTN on Wednesday and seen by Technext, the operator said the move is part of attempts to explore transparency in the mobile data model and address public scepticism. 

“To address public scepticism, MTN Nigeria has stepped forward to convene an independent public inquest on June 6, 2026, aimed entirely at putting mobile data mechanics on trial,” part of the statement reads. 

The decision comes at a time when internet adoption has seen a significant rise among Nigerians. With data being the fuel for internet accessibility, many subscribers felt their data was depleted more than their usage. 

The complaints intensified following the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) approval of a 50% telecoms tariff hike in January 2025, resulting in a significant rise in airtime and data costs. Since then, Nigerians have been more concerned about getting the real value of their mobile data costs. 

A testament to this is a recent protest led by Omoyele Sowore, a former Presidential candidate. The physical and online protest, which centred on MTN, was a call to probe the operator over growing concerns that it deducts and monitors data usage.

With the public investigation, MTN Nigeria will seek to open the data mechanics to trial and showcase its transparency

Also Read: Why MTN, Airtel, Glo, others are resuming voice and data lending services after a 5-week suspension.

How the MTN inquiry is structured 

According to the statement, the public inquiry will be court-style and adopt a highly democratic, decentralised approach to human representation. 

Instead of handpicking participants who will represent subscribers, the operator said it had partnered with independent media channels to encourage Nigerians to vote for and select their own five-member Prosecution team.

MTN explained that the selected prosecutors will be granted complete autonomy to cross-examine technical analysts and put forward consumer evidence. At the operator’s end, a dedicated panel of MTN technical executives, network engineers, and third-party mobile hardware specialists will form the Defence team.

“This process ensures that the public retains ownership of the brief and can choose trusted technology creators and consumer advocates to argue their case on the floor,” it added. 

In the proceedings, both parties will table their cases, present raw device data, and call forward witnesses to the stand. 

Also, the operator mentioned that all diagnostic tools and backend demonstration utilities deployed during the session will be independently verified by global professional services firm KPMG. This is to eliminate any risks of rigged or doctored outcomes. 

The entire courtroom-style proceeding is expected to be live-streamed across multiple digital networks, including selected television stations, YouTube, Facebook, X, and TikTok. 

“The initiative sets a bold new corporate standard for consumer accountability and digital literacy within the global telecoms sector,” MTN noted.