{"id":16858,"date":"2026-11-13T11:46:25","date_gmt":"2026-11-13T11:46:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/2026\/11\/13\/mtn-and-airtel-earn-%e2%82%a613-7bn-per-day-from-data-despite-poor-connection\/"},"modified":"2026-11-13T11:46:25","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T11:46:25","slug":"mtn-and-airtel-earn-%e2%82%a613-7bn-per-day-from-data-despite-poor-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/2026\/11\/13\/mtn-and-airtel-earn-%e2%82%a613-7bn-per-day-from-data-despite-poor-connection\/","title":{"rendered":"MTN and Airtel earn \u20a613.7bn per day from data despite poor connection"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nigerian telecom giants, MTN and Airtel, posted a joint record of \u20a63.74 trillion in data revenue<\/strong> alone over the first nine months of 2026 (9M\u20192026). The figures show that data purchases and increased usage are a key driver of Nigeria\u2019s digital economy.<\/p>\n

On a daily basis, both telecoms recorded\u00a0\u20a613.70 billion in data revenue per day over the 273 days<\/strong> between January and September 2026. Monthly, MTN and Airtel recorded\u00a0\u20a6415.56 billion in data revenue\u00a0across the first nine months of the year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The data boom has witnessed a fine run following the implementation of tariff adjustments during the first half of 2025, boosted by surging internet consumption, lengthy online presence and rapid internet penetration by Nigerians.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"How
A Nigerian internet subscriber streaming video on his smartphone <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But all is not as rosy from the consumer side of things because, as data revenue continues to rise, Nigerian users continue to feel cheated amid a growing sense of disconnect. Millions of subscribers are grappling with persistent network congestion, dropped calls, and poor internet speeds. <\/p>\n

These complaints, evident across social media platforms, ongoing back-and-forth with the House of Reps, and official industry data show the widening gap between corporate profitability and deteriorating quality of service.<\/p>\n

The growing mistrust subscribers are feeling toward internet service providers raises urgent questions about infrastructure resilience, regulatory enforcement, and the true cost borne by the everyday consumer.<\/p>\n

How MTN and Airtel recorded \u20a63.74trn data revenue in 9M\u201926<\/h4>\n

Data is the fuel for internet users, and the financial statements of both telcos showed just how much Nigerians are burning that fuel and how much telcos are making off it. During the first half of 2026, MTN declared<\/a> \u20a61.7 trillion<\/strong> in data revenue after adding 4.7 million data subscribers in the period. For the first nine months of 2026, data revenue rose<\/a> to \u20a62.68 trillion<\/strong> following a 35.8% year-on-year surge.<\/p>\n

For MTN, during the 9M \u201926, data revenue contributed over 50% of the operator\u2019s earnings.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Airtel Nigeria\u2019s financial year runs from April to March, so it is best to pick up the count from January to March (Q1, 2026), which is Airtel\u2019s Q4 \u201826 in the financial statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Between January and March 2026, Airtel posted<\/a> \u20a6328.63 billion<\/strong> ($244 million) in data revenue. Between April and September 2026 (H1\u2019 26), Airtel\u2019s data revenue expanded by 52.7% to \u20a6732.6 billion<\/strong> ($544 million), up from \u20a6480.7 billion ($357 million), summing to \u20a61.06 trillion<\/strong> across the nine months.\u00a0<\/p>\n

MTN\u2019s \u20a62.68 trillion and Airtel\u2019s \u20a61.06 trillion mean the telecom giants raked in a combined \u20a63.74 trillion in data revenue between January and September 2026.<\/p>\n

Also Read: MTN extends lead, now accounts for 60.5% of Nigeria\u2019s fibre broadband market<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Consumer complaints\u00a0<\/h4>\n

Across social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), the growing contrast between booming data revenue and poor consumer experience continues to trigger widespread criticism. It depicts the growing frustration of everyday Nigerian subscribers over deteriorating network quality and rapid data exhaustion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Reacting to MTN\u2019s multi-trillion-naira revenue figures, an X user pointed out the irony of telecom operators turning \u201cdisappearing data\u201d into massive profits, urging the federal government to intervene on behalf of consumers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Na the same data wey people dey complain say e dey disappear somehow, MTN dey turn am into trillions in revenue. Nigeria get premium mysteries. It\u2019s not funny again, Government should do something about it.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Samuel Oluwafemi (@Dospage1) September 1, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Another subscriber accused MTN, Airtel and other telcos of building wealth at the expense of Nigerians through expensive data tariffs, unreliable connectivity, and unexplained depletion.<\/p>\n

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Where is the money coming from?<\/p>\n

You and I, Nigerians,by giving poor network, expensive data prices and sucking our data to make sure we buy more they remain rich.<\/p>\n

Abeg where that lawyer dea with her case? Make she win abeg<\/p>\n

\u2014 Digital Godsgift (@GodsgiftOkoji) September 1, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The frustration extends beyond pricing to persistent service delivery failures and a drop in value. A subscriber lamented that mobile operators hiked tariffs while reducing effective data volumes, noting that a 150GB bundle barely lasts two weeks despite a drop in network quality.<\/p>\n

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They aren\u2019t giving us the service we deserve in Nigeria but they are milking us dry .. always increasing tarrifs, data prices and reducing the amount of data .. they are always turning a profit year in year out at our expense.. 150gb doesn\u2019t last two weeks !!<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u00c9nyia Kennedy \ud83d\ude36\u200d\ud83c\udf2b\ufe0f \u2122 (@Ink_Fluency) July 30, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Also reacting to comparisons between MTN and Airtel\u2019s revenue, another X user remarked that poor network reliability has become routine, expressing frustration that data bundles continue to deplete even as network instability prevents users from accessing the internet.<\/p>\n

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Not surprised at all. Their network has bn nothing to write home abt and data keep depleting even when u can’t access the internet<\/p>\n

\u2014 Kay\u26a1 (@K_map007) November 6, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

While telecom giants continue to report increased revenue amid increased internet usage, subscribers continue to demand measurable improvements in connection stability, transparent data billing, and strict regulatory oversight.<\/p>\n

Aside from reactions on social media, industry data provided by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on consumer complaints<\/a> further magnifies the growing frustration.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Across the first nine months, MTN (160,848) and Airtel (328,349) reported a combined 489,197 complaints filed by subscribers across their respective platforms.<\/p>\n

Specifically, subscribers filed 302,863 complaints surrounding quality of experience in data and voice, with 56,701 complaints attributed to MTN and 246,162 complaints filed against Airtel. This also means that total complaints on poor network service took a 62% share of all complaints during the period under review.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"MTN,
Data Source: NCC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ongoing network accountability clash<\/h4>\n

Amid persistent outcry over network quality, the Nigerian House of Representatives directed Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of MTN, Airtel, Globacom and Mafab Communications to appear before its ad hoc committee over issues relating to poor network quality in recent months.<\/p>\n

The CEOs were summoned to explain the cause of dropped calls, slow internet connections, failed airtime, failed data transactions, and poor network coverage. Lawmakers also want to know ongoing measures to improve connectivity, which has become vital to Nigeria\u2019s booming digital economy.<\/p>\n

The CEO\u2019s, however, failed to appear before lawmakers, with the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) questioning the House of Reps\u2019 authority to compel telecom operators to give an account on pressing matters. <\/p>\n

After failing to appear on two different occasions, Reps have threatened to impose fresh sanctions<\/a> on the operators. In response, telecom operators have filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja against the House of Representatives to halt a probe into poor network service quality. <\/p>\n

For Nigerians, their fate is hanging on a ledge as an average subscriber will not wait for a court case to end before resolving billing or service issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"House
House of Reps<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For now, compensation for poor network service seems to be the only response to a drop in network quality.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Under an active regulatory directive, the NCC requires operators to automatically credit subscribers<\/a> with free airtime when network quality falls below set benchmarks in specific local government areas. According to the NCC, over 75 million subscribers have received airtime compensation as of May 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Also Read: Nigeria\u2019s 5G market share hits 5% as 3G continues to decline<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Source: <\/p>\n

Technext<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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