MTN Nigeria CEO, Karl Toriola links absence of unlimited plans on mobile to need for survival

Dr Karl Toriola, Chief Executive Officer at MTN Nigeria and Vice President, MTN Francophone Africa, has said that the company, or the telecoms industry, cannot survive by offering unlimited plans on mobile networks and data expiry. 

While making his closing remarks and addressing key questions raised by the prosecuting team during Saturday’s Data On Trial, Karl Toriola said unlimited data plans on mobile networks do not exist anywhere in the world. He argued that it doesn’t make economic sense for operators, and they won’t be able to survive. 

“The issue of unlimited data on mobile networks, it doesn’t exist in any way in the world, except you’re paying something, maybe $400 a month or whatever it is,” he noted. 

The conversation comes amid claims that data is not meant to expire since the entire MB/GB/TB was paid for by the subscriber. Also on mobile, customers argued that there are no unlimited data plans where they pay a set amount and can surf the internet without worry.

Karl Toriola mentioned that first, the company needs to survive and stay in business. Offering everyone unlimited data on mobile means less revenue for them since a large number of customers subscribe on mobile. Second, there’s a fair usage policy guiding this activity. 

“The high bundles and the spare usage policy. On mobile networks, it doesn’t really exist. There’s a limit because you can never build enough capacity for everyone to be on an unlimited bundle, and you think you provide a quality of service that’s decent,” Karl added. 

Stressing industry sustainability, the MTN CEO says offering such service means they have less capital to build networks and improve quality. 

“If you decide to give everybody in Nigeria unlimited air flights, local air tickets for, let me just say a silly number, N200,000/month, do you think they’ll survive? They won’t. It doesn’t work that way. We cannot give unlimited data on mobile,” he said.

“We will not be able to build the networks that you’re going to use in any way whatsoever. So that’s the reality, and I challenge you to this,” Kar Toriola noted. 

Also Read: “Turn off auto-update until you have access to Wi-Fi, ” MTN CEO advises on how to save data

MTN: Need for survival 

The MTN Nigeria CEO stressed business survival, linking this to when the industry got a 50% tariff hike. These are necessary for investment, rolling out upgrades, maintaining quality of experience, competing in the market, and running daily operational costs and paying salaries. 

“It’s necessary for the industry to first survive,” adding that before the tariff hike, “It was really on the verge of breaking down and then to allow us to continue to invest.”

“Everywhere, it’s a continuous investment, on and off. And in the period when the increase was implemented,  technically speaking, we were insolvent. We had negative equity for those who are financial people,” he added. 

For the 2024 financial year, MTN Nigeria recorded a N400.44 billion loss after tax, primarily driven by naira devaluation. In 2025, there was a massive turnaround with a profit after tax of N1.1 trillion, fueled by data revenue, coming after the tariff hike implementation. 

Karl Toriola added that the industry needed investment and expansion of networks to accommodate new onboarding. Positive financial books are needed to finance and sustain this investment. 

“Everywhere, it’s a continuous investment, on and off,” mentioning that without the hike and absence of data expiry “we will not be able to build the networks that you’re going to use in any way whatsoever.”

The operator invested over N900 billion in 2025 and noted that it plans to invest over N1.1 trillion in network expansion nationwide in 2026.

The calls didn’t start now

While the push for non-data expiry and unlimited plans on mobile has been a particular concern to subscribers, it’s not only linked to Nigeria. There have been records of such calls in South Africa.

In April, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema and EFF Member of Parliament Sinawo Thambo both led a protest against telcos’ expiring mobile data. Before the protests, operators had been questioned at Parliament, with arguments that purchased data should not expire. 

“MTN removed data expiry. No data must expire. Telecom data must never expire. If you don’t comply, we’ll make your stores expire because you are stealing from us,” said Julius Malema during a protest walk in April.

After review by authorities, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) updated its rules by allowing subscribers to roll over unused data without extra costs. 

Roll-over data plans exist in Nigeria, but come with extra cost. Subscribers must purchase the same data plan, where the unused and new subscription get merged.

Addressing this issue in a radio program in April, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, ALTON Chairman, clarified that data bundles are sold within defined validity periods and are not designed for indefinite use. He urged telecom subscribers to retain unused data through rollover options. 

“You can’t carry it in perpetuity, but you have the benefit of extending it without losing unused portions by just resubscribing,” he said.

For telcos, it’s a matter of what works for their financial books. For subscribers, it’s an argument for ‘this is my money’.