MTN Nigeria has acknowledged that the daily data usage SMS report experienced a temporary glitch during the week, leading to incorrect figures for subscribers. The clarification comes amid on
MTN Nigeria has acknowledged that the daily data usage SMS report experienced a temporary glitch during the week, leading to incorrect figures for subscribers. The clarification comes amid ongoing outrage over data depletion claims.
According to a newsletter update by the leading telecoms operator on Friday evening, the company explained that the temporary glitch caused the system to incorrectly display the figures. MTN noted that it calculated the data usage based on gigabytes (GB) instead of megabytes (MB).
“Earlier this week, some subscribers noticed discrepancies in the data usage figures displayed in their SMS usage reports,” MTN said in the newsletter.
It added that “This was caused by a temporary system glitch that incorrectly displayed some usage figures in gigabytes (GB) instead of megabytes (MB).”
At the MTN Y’ello Verse There were recent claims by MTN Nigeria’s customers across various social media platforms, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), concerning data depletion owing to suspected inflated data usage figures received via SMS for Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
Particularly, the issue gained attention on Thursday, August 13, after Bashir Ahmad, Special Assistant on Digital Communications to former President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari, tweeted that the SMS report claimed he used 58.83 gigabytes (GB) via the cellular network.
Aside from the former Presidential aide, other subscribers displayed the suspected inflated figures. The controversy gained momentum due to recent questions over data deductions by subscribers and a time when Nigerians are paying more for data amid harsh economic conditions.
However, MTN clarified that the glitch and discrepancies for all affected subscribers have been resolved to reflect the actual data used during the period.
“The issue has since been resolved. All affected records were corrected immediately to accurately reflect subscribers’ actual data usage. We apologise for any concern or confusion this may have caused,” it said.
Also Read: MTN Nigeria faces fresh data depletion outrage after former president’s aide reports glitch.
What MTN Nigeria did not sayWhile the telecom operator has made an attempt to clarify the widespread controversies surrounding the now-confirmed inflation data report figures, it, however, failed to clarify whether the glitch only affected the system that sends data reports via SMS or its backend system that calculates and deducts data usage of subscribers.
Most importantly, the headline of the controversy that majorly triggered scrutiny and a callout by the former Presidential aide was the data consumption breakdown sent to him for the affected day (August 11).
On data depletion While MTN now claims there was a glitch, the breakdown Bashir Ahmad gave was based on the inflated figures and sent to him two days (Thursday, August 13) after the “claimed” glitch occurred.
Until a detailed explanation is made to clarify these sets of questions, subscribers will continue to place doubt on the operator’s system. They’ll always feel cheated every day with the SMS report, anytime they receive a data exhaustion message or when MTN reports another revenue/profit largely driven by data earnings.
