MTN vs Glo data plans — who has the cheapest ₦/GB in May 2026

Nigerian mobile data prices doubled between 2023 and 2025 — from roughly ₦287/GB on the 1GB-plan median to ₦637/GB this month, per NCC tracking. That makes the per-GB calculation matter more than it ever has. The /internet vertical on PriceRadar computes effective ₦/GB across every published plan from MTN, Airtel, Glo, 9mobile, plus Spectranet, ipNX, Tizeti, Smile and Starlink. The numbers below are the May 2026 snapshot.

The cheapest mobile ₦/GB is currently Glo's 75GB/30-day plan at ₦14,000 — that's ₦187/GB, roughly half the carrier-blended average. MTN's 120GB/30-day at ₦23,000 is close behind at ₦192/GB. Airtel's 100GB/30-day at ₦21,500 sits at ₦215/GB. 9mobile lags at ₦240+ across most tiers.

At smaller bundles, the picture flips. Glo's 1.5GB/24-hr at ₦300 is ₦200/GB — cheapest in class. MTN's 1.5GB/24-hr is ₦350 (₦233/GB). For weekly plans (~10GB), Airtel's ₦1,500 plan beats both — ₦150/GB headline, although you must use it in 7 days.

• Why ₦/GB isn't the whole story. Three factors that don't show up in the per-GB number:
• Network speed — MTN typically wins on 5G availability in Lagos, Abuja, PH; Glo is 4G-only in most cities.
• Coverage outside metro — MTN/Airtel beat Glo in northern states and rural southwest.
• Rollover — MTN keeps unused data for one more cycle automatically; Glo and Airtel rollover only when you re-subscribe before expiry. For inconsistent users this can be a 15-25% effective bonus.

The /internet hub ranks all plans by effective ₦/GB live — sortable by data cap, validity, and provider. If you're on a 30-day cycle and use 50GB+, Glo is the answer for May 2026. If you're on 4G in northern NG or use less than 10GB monthly, MTN's smaller bundles are the better blended value.

Watching for Q3. Both MTN and Airtel filed proposed tariff adjustments with NCC in April — the regulator hasn't approved them yet. If approved, expect a 12-18% headline increase, which would push Glo's relative value advantage from ~5% to closer to 25%. We track every plan change in the weekly digest.