By Efe Onodjae

Airtel Nigeria has disclosed that it holds a dominant network footprint in Northern Nigeria, particularly in remote and underserved areas, a position the company says is directly shaping its service quality strategy and consumer experience nationwide.

The disclosure was made at a media roundtable with senior editors and industry correspondents in Ikeja, Lagos, where the telecommunications company outlined its next phase of network expansion, capacity upgrades and sustainability initiatives aimed at meeting Nigeria’s rapidly growing data demand.

Responding to questions on Airtel’s national spread across the North, West and South, chief executive officer, Dinesh Balsingh explained that while competition remains relatively balanced in most parts of the country, the North stands out as an area where Airtel has built a clear edge.

“Our spread across the North is the most dominant,” the company said. “In other regions, competition is almost equal, but in the North, especially in remote locations, we are significantly ahead. We are covering some of the remotest parts of the region, where network deployment is usually more challenging.”

According to Airtel, this dominance is translating into tangible benefits for consumers, including wider coverage, more contiguous connectivity and improved quality of service. The company explained that expanding footprint alone is not the end goal; capacity upgrades and network optimisation are central to ensuring consistent user experience.

“Increasing coverage is one part, but quality of service is equally critical,” Airtel noted. “By adding more sites and more capacity in these areas, customers experience better speeds, less congestion and more reliable connectivity.”

The company revealed that it has already built about 17,000 network sites nationwide, with an additional 650 sites currently under construction and expected to go live soon. This will push Airtel closer to the 18,000-site mark as part of its ongoing rollout.

Executives stressed that the expansion involves “massive investment,” not just in new sites but also in strengthening existing infrastructure. This includes deploying additional radios, expanding fibre capacity and upgrading network equipment to handle rising traffic volumes.

“Improving network quality is not always about putting up more sites,” Airtel explained. “In many cases, it is about upgrading capacity. If you experience poor service in a location, the solution is often to increase spectrum, add radios and strengthen fibre, not necessarily to build a new site.”

As part of its resilience strategy, Airtel also announced plans to introduce a second internet breakout point from Southern Nigeria, leveraging the 2Africa submarine cable landing in Kwa Ibo, Akwa Ibom State. Currently, Nigeria’s international internet traffic largely routes through Lagos.

Using a simple analogy, executives described the move as creating “another door” for internet traffic, which will reduce congestion, improve redundancy and enhance overall network performance for both the North and the South.

“Once you have another breakout, traffic does not depend on a single route. That improves capacity and resilience for the entire ecosystem,” the company said, describing the initiative as a first-of-its-kind development for Nigeria.

Beyond connectivity, Airtel highlighted its sustainability drive, particularly in powering network sites. The company said it is actively reducing reliance on diesel generators, which contribute to carbon emissions.
“Our priority is to convert sites to grid power wherever possible,” Airtel explained. “Once grid power is available, diesel consumption drops significantly, and so does our carbon footprint.”

To support this transition, Airtel has deployed high-capacity lithium-ion batteries capable of providing up to 20 hours of backup power. Solar energy is also being introduced as a third layer, helping to charge batteries and further reduce dependence on diesel.

“The end goal is clear,” the company said. “We want to reduce diesel usage, cut carbon emissions and adopt cleaner, more sustainable power sources across our network.”

Speaking earlier at the roundtable, Airtel Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, Dinesh Balsingh, said the company’s strategy is anchored on scale, resilience and long-term confidence in Nigeria’s digital future.

“Over the last two years, we have invested with discipline and clarity to strengthen our network nationwide,” Balsingh said. “Those investments are now translating into measurable improvements in performance, customer experience and reach, including in underserved communities.”

He added that as data consumption accelerates, leadership in the telecoms sector will depend on proactive investment and intelligent network designs.