Airtel Nigeria has announced a bold expansion of its network, infrastructure, and technology capabilities, positioning itself as a leader in quality of service and digital connectivity across the country. The announcement came during Airtel’s first media roundtable of 2026, attended by senior editors, industry correspondents, and key telecom stakeholders.
Speaking at the event, Airtel Nigeria CEO, Dinesh Balsingh, said the company’s strategy focuses on deliberate scale, resilience, and quality. “Over the last two years, we have invested strategically to strengthen our network nationwide. These investments are now delivering measurable improvements in coverage, speed, and reliability, including in underserved areas,” he said.
Since December 2023, Airtel has expanded its network footprint by 15.5%, adding 2,242 new sites and bringing its total to nearly 16,711 nationwide. Capacity upgrades now cover 99% of its sites with high-speed 4G mobile broadband, establishing Airtel as a full nationwide 4G operator. Plans for further upgrades and accelerated 5G rollout are already underway, targeting Nigeria’s top 20 cities.
Chief Technology Officer, Harmanpreet Singh Dhillon, highlighted that spectrum optimisation and expansion remain critical. “We increased our 4G spectrum by 10MHz and are optimising our network to support higher data throughput, faster speeds, and consistent service, especially in high-traffic areas,” he noted.
Airtel is also advancing satellite connectivity through partnerships with OneWeb and Starlink, delivering enterprise-grade and rural broadband services. A pioneering Direct-to-Cell partnership with Starlink will allow mobile users to stay connected in remote locations, supporting both business operations and community access to digital services.
Beyond connectivity, Airtel is expanding its fibre infrastructure by 25%, enhancing capacity across cities and states, and preparing a second internet breakout from Kwa Ibo, Akwa Ibom, leveraging the 2Africa submarine cable. “This will improve resilience and create faster internet pathways for both northern and southern Nigeria,” Balsingh explained.
Supporting these advancements is Airtel’s enterprise-grade IT and cloud infrastructure, including thousands of virtual machines, GPU clusters, and AI-driven solutions for network intelligence, fraud detection, and customer analytics. The company is set to launch a hyperscaler-ready 38MW data centre in Eko Atlantic to support Nigeria’s growing digital economy.
Airtel Nigeria’s retail and service footprint is extensive, with products available in over 200,000 outlets nationwide, supported by more than 4,000 exclusive shops and 250 flagship stores. Balsingh added, “Quality of service is about resilience, redundancy, and intelligence. From fibre to cloud to satellite, we are building a platform that allows Nigerian businesses to scale with confidence, regardless of location.”
Other Airtel Nigeria leaders present at the roundtable included Director, Airtel Business, Ogo Ofomata; Director, Marketing, Ismail Adeshina; Director, Information Technology, Kemi Ariyo; and Director, Corporate Communications & CSR, Femi Adeniran.
With these initiatives, Airtel Nigeria is cementing its position as a driving force behind the country’s digital transformation, enabling businesses and consumers to thrive in an increasingly connected economy.