Airtel Nigeria added more than 1,000 fifth-generation network sites in 2026 as it expands its infrastructure to meet rising demand for faster mobile connectivity and improve service quality across the country.
The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Dinesh Balsingh, disclosed this on Friday at the launch of Airtel Open Network, a new feature on the My Airtel Africa app that allows subscribers to monitor network performance and report service-related issues digitally.
The expansion is part of Airtel’s broader network investment programme, which has increased its total network sites to more than 17,000, following the deployment of over 1,050 additional sites in the last financial year.
The rollout comes amid growing pressure on telecommunications operators to strengthen network capacity and coverage as demand for mobile data, digital financial services and other internet-based activities continues to rise.
“During the last financial year, Airtel Nigeria added more than 1,050 new sites and has surpassed 17,000 sites nationwide. This year, 2026 alone, Airtel has added more than 1,000 5G sites to date, expanding access to high-speed connectivity across the country,” he said.
The operator is also deploying digital tools to strengthen its ability to identify, track and respond to customer complaints alongside its network expansion efforts.
The newly launched Open Network feature enables subscribers to view information about their network experience and submit feedback, helping the company’s technical teams identify the location and nature of connectivity issues.
Balsingh said traditional complaint channels, including call centres and physical customer service outlets, sometimes made it difficult for the company to obtain precise information about network-related challenges.
He explained that the digital platform would provide more detailed feedback to help engineers investigate reported issues and identify areas requiring network improvements.
However, he clarified that the platform would not automatically fix network faults or prevent service disruptions but would serve as an additional channel for collecting information and improving the company’s response to customer complaints.
Airtel is also strengthening its physical customer service channels, with more than 225 premium experience stores nationwide and plans to increase the number to 500. The operator also runs over 9,000 exclusive shops across local government areas and has a network of more than 73,000 retail agents.
The launch builds on the company’s introduction of an artificial intelligence-powered spam alert service in March 2025. According to Balsingh, the service detected more than 9.6 million suspected spam messages within its first two months of operation.
