On Thursday, 28 August, the Abdullahi Mahadi Conference Centre at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, was transformed into a court of scrutiny as MTN Nigeria took its data services before a jury of students as part of its “Data on Trial” initiative, an interactive session designed to demystify how mobile data works and address long-standing customer frustrations.
The session adopted a courtroom-style format, with students from the Faculty of Law and Engineering serving as the prosecution while MTN staff made up the defence team. Lawyer and media personality Timi Agbaje presided over and hosted the session, using the courtroom concept to create a lively but substantive conversation in which students could put their everyday experiences on the stand and demand answers from MTN.
Students raised questions around the quality and consistency of connections. They also questioned the affordability of data in the current economic climate, why data prices continue to change, why automatic refunds may not always follow service outages and rapid data consumption.
The MTN defence team responded to the questions while educating students on the different factors that influence data consumption and practical ways users can monitor and manage their usage. The conversation also challenged some common assumptions around rapidly depleting data. Students were shown how activities such as video streaming, social media use, background applications, automatic updates and other processes on smartphones can contribute to data consumption. Students were educated on built-in OS tools, the MyMTN app, and usage calculators to audit device consumption in real time.
Reactions following the trial highlighted a clear shift in student perspectives. Abdullahi Omeiza, a 500-level Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering student, noted, “I used to feel services weren’t as efficient because 2GB barely lasts two days anymore. But after understanding how visual quality upgrades and background processes demand more data to run smoothly, I now see why it feels like data runs out so fast.”
Hamdalah, a 300-level Computer Science student echoed this sentiment. “I learned that fast data depletion isn’t the network stealing from us, it comes down to our phone habits. Streaming apps like TikTok, background refreshes, and automatic updates consume a lot, but now I know practical ways to monitor and manage my data better.”
This campus engagement builds directly on the company’s broader transparency drive launched at the flagship Lagos event, where MTN Nigeria CEO, Dr. Karl Toriola emphasized the company’s dedication to radical openness:
“We are not asking customers to trust us blindly. We want them to see the evidence and understand exactly how data is consumed. What we are saying authoritatively is we will never deliberately shortchange you on the consumption of your data.”
The session combined accountability with education, reflecting MTN’s broader push for transparency with its customer base, particularly younger, tech-engaged Nigerians on university campuses.