Published by Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has attacked MTN Nigeria CEO Karl Toriola for claiming that unlimited mobile data plans do not exist anywhere in the world, describing the assertion as false and hinting at a possible nationwide protest against the telecommunications giant.
During a press conference titled “Data on Trial” held in Lagos on Saturday, June 6, 2026, the MTN boss argued that unlimited data plans are not feasible on mobile networks because no operator can sustain quality service if every customer has unrestricted access to data at a low cost. “The issue of unlimited data on mobile network, it does not exist anywhere in the world, except you are paying $400 a month or whatever. On mobile networks, it does not really exist. There is a limit, because you can never build enough capacity for everyone to be on an unlimited bundle and you think you will provide quality service that will be decent,” Toriola said. Reacting in a post on X on Sunday, Sowore rejected the claim, arguing that millions of consumers worldwide enjoy truly unlimited or effectively unlimited broadband and mobile data plans at prices that are often cheaper, relative to local incomes, than what Nigerians pay for far less service. “Liars. Millions of consumers around the world enjoy truly unlimited or effectively unlimited broadband and mobile data plans at prices that are often cheaper, relative to income, than what Nigerians pay for far less service. Nigerians deserve affordable, reliable, and genuinely consumer-friendly telecommunications services, not endless tariff hikes, poor network quality, and excuses,” Sowore wrote. He added, “The time to #OCCUPYMTN nationwide is fast approaching!”
Toriola’s remarks came just a day after Sowore held the press conference, and his critics have pointed to evidence from countries where unlimited mobile data is widely available. Nigerians living abroad have shared screenshots on social media of unlimited plans they say cost the equivalent of only a few hours of work at local minimum wages. Toriola argued, however, that providing such services at low prices would be unsustainable, comparing unlimited mobile data to offering cut‑price airline tickets. “If you decide to give everybody in Nigeria unlimited local air tickets for N200,000 in a month, do you think the airline industry will survive? It won’t. It doesn’t work that way. We cannot give unlimited as much as we desire it. We won’t be able to build the network that people would be able to use in any way whatsoever. That is the reality,” he said.
The controversy comes amid growing public frustration over high data costs and perceived exploitation by telecom operators, including MTN. In early 2025, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) approved up to 50% increases in voice, SMS, and data tariffs, citing inflation, naira devaluation, and the need to sustain investment. MTN has maintained that Nigeria remains among the world’s four cheapest markets for mobile data despite the hikes, but critics like Sowore point to better consumer experiences in countries such as India, parts of Europe, the United Kingdom, and even some African markets, where near‑unlimited plans are accessible at relatively affordable rates. Just a month earlier, in early May, Sowore led a protest against MTN in Abuja, with demonstrators chanting “MTN Ole!” over alleged poor service delivery, rapid data depletion, and high internet costs.
As of Sunday evening, the telecom giant had not issued any further statement beyond the CEO’s press conference remarks. However, the company’s investment plans remain substantial. Toriola disclosed that MTN spent N900 billion on network expansion in 2025 and will spend N1 trillion on network upgrades in 2026. Whether those investments will translate into the kind of consumer‑friendly data packages that Sowore and others demand remains an open question. For millions of Nigerians struggling with the cost of staying online, the debate over “unlimited data” is not theoretical. It is a matter of daily affordability and access. If Sowore follows through on his threat, the sight of protesters gathering at MTN offices nationwide could become the next chapter in Nigeria’s long struggle for cheaper, better internet.
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