By 
By Osasome, C.O
Airtel Nigeria Scales Network Infrastructure Nationwide
Airtel Nigeria is accelerating the expansion of its fibre, 4G and 5G network infrastructure to meet Nigeria’s rapidly growing demand for mobile voice and internet services, as part of a broader strategy to reinforce its leadership in quality of service across the telecommunications sector.
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The telecom operator disclosed that 99 per cent of its network sites now deliver high-speed 4G mobile broadband, positioning Airtel as a full nationwide 4G provider.
Sustained Investments Drive Network Performance
Speaking at a media parley in Lagos, Airtel Nigeria’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Dinesh Balsingh, highlighted the company’s disciplined investments over the past two years and its plans to scale operations further to support Nigeria’s expanding digital economy.
“Over the last two years, we have invested with discipline and clarity to strengthen our network nationwide. Those investments are now translating into measurable improvements in performance, customer experience and reach, including in underserved and hard-to-reach communities. In 2026, we are accelerating these upgrades because Nigeria’s data appetite is growing, and leadership in this industry will belong to those who plan ahead,” Balsingh said.
Network Sites Grow by 15.5% Nationwide
Balsingh disclosed that since December 2023, Airtel Nigeria has expanded its network footprint by 15.5 per cent, adding 2,242 new sites to bring the total number of sites to nearly 16,711 nationwide. Further rollouts are planned across both urban and rural communities in 2026.
In addition, capacity upgrades have reached significant scale. In 2025, the operator enhanced network capacity on 30 per cent of its sites, covering more than 5,032 locations across the country.
Spectrum Optimisation Enhances Speed and Reliability
Airtel Nigeria’s Chief Technology Officer, Harmanpreet Singh Dhillon, emphasised the role of spectrum optimisation in improving network performance.
“We have increased our 4G spectrum by 10MHz and are actively optimising our holdings. These actions allow us to support higher data throughput, better speeds, and more consistent service, especially in high-traffic areas,” Dhillon said.
Satellite Partnerships Extend Coverage to Remote Areas
Beyond terrestrial networks, Airtel Nigeria is expanding connectivity through strategic partnerships with satellite providers OneWeb and Starlink. The company recently announced Nigeria’s first Direct-to-Cell collaboration with Starlink, enabling customers to remain connected in remote locations and extending digital and fintech services to small rural communities.
Fibre Expansion and Submarine Cable Redundancy
The telecom operator is also scaling its fibre footprint nationwide. Following a commitment to double capital expenditure last year, Airtel plans to expand fibre coverage by 25 per cent, intensifying deployments in major cities and along key interstate corridors.
Balsingh also highlighted a critical national infrastructure milestone, noting that Nigeria currently relies on a single major submarine cable landing in Lagos. Airtel plans to launch a second internet breakout in southern Nigeria via the 2Africa submarine cable, starting at Kwa Ibo in Akwa Ibom State, to deliver faster and more resilient connectivity across both northern and southern regions.
Cloud, Data Centres and AI-Driven Networks
Supporting these infrastructure investments is a robust IT and cloud backbone. Airtel operates an enterprise-grade private cloud capable of supporting large-scale storage, compute power and AI-driven applications for fraud detection, intelligent network self-healing and advanced customer analytics.
The company also plans to develop a 38-megawatt hyperscaler-ready data centre in Eko Atlantic, designed to support Nigeria’s next phase of digital and cloud-driven growth.
Extensive Retail Presence Across Nigeria
Airtel Nigeria maintains one of the country’s largest retail and distribution networks, with products available in over 200,000 outlets, supported by more than 4,000 exclusive shops and 250 flagship stores nationwide.
