Airtel Nigeria has identified 2026 as a landmark year for the transformation of its network and digital infrastructure. The telecommunications giant is set to scale up investments significantly to deepen national coverage, bolster capacity, and enhance network resilience across the Federation.
The Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Dinesh Balsingh, announced the multi-year strategy on Thursday during a media roundtable in Lagos. The roadmap encompasses an aggressive network rollout, retail expansion, the strengthening of fibre infrastructure, and the adoption of emerging technologies.
Mr Balsingh revealed that between December 2023 and early 2025, Airtel expanded its network footprint by approximately 15 per cent, increasing its site count from 15,000 to 17,000. The company intends to replicate this scale of growth in 2026.
Crucially, the investments are being directed towards deep rural communities, small towns, and the peripheries of major urban centres. “Everyone has the right to digital connectivity, including people in deep rural markets and small communities,” Mr Balsingh stated, emphasizing that the expansion is designed to bridge the digital divide.
To reach the most inaccessible regions where terrestrial fibre deployment remains impractical, Airtel has turned to satellite technology. The CEO cited successful deployments in Adamawa State and other northern regions using Starlink-powered satellite links.
“These are very remote villages where terrestrial fibre was practically impossible, but satellite connectivity is performing very well,” he noted.
Airtel’s commitment to network quality has seen substantial technical upgrades over the past year:
4G Dominance: 99.99 per cent of Airtel’s sites are now 4G-enabled. Spectrum capacity on the 4G network, described by Balsingh as the “backbone of mobile data usage”, has been increased by 20 per cent.
5G Acceleration: The company has more than doubled its 5G sites in the last quarter, with plans to migrate 25 per cent of its network in the top 20 cities to 5G over time.
Fibre Backbone: The company is expanding its fibre backbone by 25 per cent and is planning a second internet breakout point in Southern Nigeria to ensure national network redundancy.
The strategy extends into the realm of advanced data management. Airtel is currently developing a “hyperscaler-ready” facility to support artificial intelligence, network automation, and enhanced consumer protection services.
Furthermore, the company is intensifying its physical presence. With over 200 retail outlets currently operating in major cities like Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, and the East, Airtel plans further expansion to bring customer support closer to its subscribers.
While acknowledging the persistent hurdles of fibre cuts and infrastructure vandalism, Mr Balsingh commended the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Federal Government for the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) framework. This initiative aims to protect telecommunications assets as vital national interests.
Despite these operational challenges, the CEO reaffirmed Airtel’s dedication to the Nigerian market, describing 2026 as another “massive year” for the nation’s digital development.
