Airtel Nigeria ramps up network investments to power digital growth
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Airtel Nigeria unveils major upgrades in fibre, 4G and 5G infrastructure as part of a quality-of-service drive aimed at improving connectivity, strengthening resilience and supporting Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital economy.
By Nhlanhla Muthe, Senior Reporter
Airtel Nigeria has entered a new phase of telecoms growth anchored on quality of service (QoS), following sustained investments in network infrastructure, fibre capacity and next-generation technologies aimed at supporting Africa’s largest digital economy.
At its first media roundtable of 2026, the operator outlined how investments made over the past two years are translating into measurable improvements in speed, resilience and coverage, critical pillars as Nigeria’s data demand accelerates.
Chief Executive Officer Dinesh Balsingh said the company’s strategy is focused on long-term infrastructure depth rather than short-term gains.
“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 communities,” Balsingh said.
Airtel Nigeria has expanded its network footprint by more than 15%, added thousands of new sites, and pushed 4G coverage to nearly its entire network. Capacity upgrades and spectrum optimisation are being deployed to manage surging traffic, while an accelerated 5G rollout targets Nigeria’s top urban centres.
Chief Technology Officer Harmanpreet Singh Dhillon highlighted that spectrum expansion is central to consistent service delivery. “We have increased our 4G spectrum and continue optimising capacity to support higher data throughput and better speeds, especially in high-traffic environments,” he said.
Beyond terrestrial infrastructure, Airtel is extending connectivity through satellite partnerships and new fibre routes, including a second internet breakout leveraging the 2Africa submarine cable to improve national resilience.
The investments build on Airtel Nigeria’s track record of initiatives promoting telecoms growth, including rural connectivity drives, fintech expansion through Airtel Money, and large-scale fibre deployment supporting enterprise and small businesses. The company has also expanded its retail footprint to deepen digital access across communities.
“Quality of service today is about resilience, redundancy and intelligence. From fibre to cloud to satellite-enabled connectivity, we are building a platform that allows Nigerian businesses to scale with confidence,” Balsingh added
For Africa’s fast-digitising economies, Airtel’s push demonstrates how infrastructure-led strategies are shaping the continent’s next telecoms growth chapter.
