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The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, defended the data billing rates of the country’s network providers on Saturday, stating that Nigeria offers some of the top four cheapest mobile data plans globally.
Toriola addressed recent criticism from customers and influencers who claim that mobile data costs too much.
Speaking at the MTN Data Trial conference in Lagos, he challenged critics to compare Nigerian data bundle prices with rates in Kenya, Congo, and the rest of the world to see the country’s global cost advantage.
Toriola acknowledged that Ghana also provides very cheap rates, but he maintained that Nigerian operators—including MTN and its competitors—still offer some of the lowest prices worldwide, even following the recent tariff hike.
In January 2025, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) approved a 50 per cent tariff increase for telecommunications operators, which raised the cost of data and airtime for users.
Although operators originally requested an increase exceeding 100 per cent, the regulator approved a lower adjustment to protect industry sustainability and support ongoing reforms.
The NCC noted that the new rates remain within the boundaries of its 2013 Cost Study and follow the 2024 Guidance on Tariff Simplification.
The agency justified the hike—the first since 2013—by citing rising operational costs and the need to maintain service quality, infrastructure investment, and network coverage.
The tariff increase triggered immediate backlash from Nigerian citizens and pressure groups like the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The labour union strongly protested the decision, branding it as insensitive and unjustifiable.
NLC representatives argued that the price hike directly assaults Nigerian workers and the public, who already face severe economic hardships driven by government policies.
