MTN Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, Dr Karl Toriola, and Xiaomi Nigeria North-West Regional Sales Manager, Kelvin Kojode, have highlighted how smartphone settings, background applications and advances in mobile technology influence data consumption, urging consumers to understand how their devices use mobile data. They made the observations at MTN Nigeria’s Data on Trial engagement in Abuja on Monday, 26 October 2026, as industry stakeholders examined consumer concerns surrounding data depletion, usage measurement and billing.
Toriola said consumer education remains essential to helping mobile subscribers understand the factors that contribute to their data consumption, particularly activities that continue running on smartphones even when users are not actively engaging with applications.
He explained that MTN’s Data on Trial initiative provides an opportunity to address these concerns through practical information and accessible consumer education.
“Data on Trial helps people understand how their phone settings and background activities affect their data consumption. Through our social media platforms, we share simple tips and practical videos to help customers monitor their data balance and make informed choices about how they use their devices,” Toriola said.
Kojode, meanwhile, highlighted how increasing demand for smartphones has accelerated developments in mobile technology, including dual-SIM functionality, embedded SIM (eSIM) technology and fifth-generation (5G) connectivity.
According to him, these innovations have changed how consumers connect to digital services and interact with their devices, while faster network speeds have expanded access to activities that require substantial data.
“The growing demand for smartphones has driven significant advances in mobile technology, from dual-SIM functionality and eSIM technology to 5G connectivity. These developments have changed how people connect and use their devices. With 5G, users can access services at higher speeds, and activities such as high-resolution streaming and other data-intensive applications can influence how much data they consume,” Kojode said.
The discussions highlighted the growing relationship between smartphone capabilities, digital habits and mobile data consumption.
Although faster network connections improve the speed at which users access online services, actual data consumption depends largely on the activities performed, the quality of content accessed and individual device settings.
Video streaming, particularly at high resolutions, can consume significant amounts of data. Automatic application updates, cloud synchronisation and background processes can also contribute to usage, sometimes without users immediately noticing the activity.
These settings can influence how quickly subscribers exhaust their available data allowances, making it important for consumers to understand how applications operate and manage their device preferences.
MTN Nigeria launched Data on Trial in Lagos in June 2026 to provide a platform where consumers and industry stakeholders can raise questions about data depletion, examine how mobile data usage is measured and billed, and obtain explanations from technology and telecommunications experts.
The initiative has subsequently extended its consumer engagement activities to universities, including Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Abia State University and the Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, Katsina.
At the Abuja engagement, participants examined issues surrounding billing accuracy, background application activity, automatic updates, cloud synchronisation, video streaming and multi-device connectivity.
The gathering brought together policymakers, technology experts, consumer advocates, media professionals and digital influencers to discuss the factors influencing public understanding of mobile data consumption.
The engagement comes amid the growing importance of mobile connectivity to everyday activities in Nigeria, including education, communication, commerce and business.
As smartphones become more sophisticated and digital services increasingly form part of daily life, understanding how device settings and online activities affect data consumption has become an important aspect of digital literacy.
Through Data on Trial, MTN Nigeria is seeking to strengthen consumer awareness by encouraging informed conversations about mobile data usage, billing and the technology behind telecommunications services.
