As Nigeria’s cities expand and digital consumption accelerates, Airtel Nigeria says it is ramping up network innovation, AI-powered experience tools, and distributed infrastructure investments to position itself at the centre of the country’s data-led transformation.
Chief executive officer of Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh, said this while speaking to journalists and stakeholders in Lagos, on Tuesday, where he outlined the company’s strategic focus on network quality, customer-centricity, and innovation.
“Nigeria’s urban landscape is evolving at a fast pace. We are seeing massive vertical growth with high-rise buildings, horizontal expansion of city boundaries, and a surge in digital activity. Our network must evolve with it,” Balsingh said.
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The telecom operator says it is responding to the increasing complexity of Nigeria’s megacities by deploying distributed network solutions, including small cells, underground fiber, and lamppost-mounted micro-antennas, especially in high-density zones.
“This is no longer about traditional tower-based coverage. In dense cities like Lagos, network experience varies floor by floor. We now deploy AI tools that analyze customer experience in real time, not just signal strength,” he added.
The company says it has migrated from using standard network APIs to customer experience APIs, allowing it to detect and fix user-specific issues across devices, locations, and sessions, a shift Airtel says will give it a competitive edge in service personalization.
According to Balsingh, the company is scaling up investment in fiber deployment to support 4G and 5G growth. Airtel has already relocated over 3,000 kilometres of fiber across Nigeria in the last two years, aimed at improving route redundancy and minimizing downtimes caused by road construction and vandalism.
“We are now focused on ensuring every site is fiber-connected. Fiber is the bedrock of capacity, especially as we roll out 5G in select pockets based on device availability and demand,” he said.
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He commended recent policy interventions, including the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) designation for telecom assets, saying it would deter sabotage and enhance infrastructure resilience.
While urban demand remains strong, Balsingh emphasized that Airtel is not neglecting rural coverage. The company is currently in talks with Starlink and OneWeb to leverage satellite connectivity for rural backhaul, enabling wider 4G data access in underserved locations.
“Voice is present in most areas, but delivering high-speed data in rural terrain requires satellite backhaul. We are piloting a number of solutions and scaling them gradually,” he said.
“The future is digital, from AI to cloud and IoT and Nigeria is poised to be a leader. Our job is to ensure the infrastructure keeps pace,” he added.
