Africa’s second biggest telco, Airtel, expanded its telecommunications infrastructure in Nigeria with the addition of more than 1,500 base stations over the past year, strengthening broadband capacity and extending connectivity to underserved areas as demand for data services continues to rise.
The expansion forms part of the company’s broader investment strategy aimed at improving network quality, supporting growing internet adoption and reinforcing Nigeria’s digital economy, the operator, which has 650 million customers, said in a statement. Over the past three years, Airtel Nigeria has increased its national site count from just above 13,000 to nearly 17,200 sites, marking one of the fastest infrastructure scaling phases in the operator’s recent history.
The latest deployments have deepened capacity in high-demand urban corridors while expanding high-speed coverage into rural and previously underserved communities. “Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission highlights the significance of Airtel’s infrastructure growth within the wider industry.
As of December 2025, Nigeria recorded 145,141 base stations across 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G networks nationwide. Airtel accounts for 46,918 base-station layers, underscoring its substantial contribution to the country’s radio access network as mobile data consumption accelerates,” the company stated.
Nearly 99 per cent of Airtel Nigeria’s sites are now 4G-enabled, positioning the operator among providers with near-ubiquitous high-speed broadband coverage. Thousands of sites have also undergone capacity upgrades within the past year, improving speeds and enhancing network stability during peak usage periods.
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Beyond terrestrial network expansion, Airtel is also investing in international connectivity resilience to address Nigeria’s reliance on limited internet gateway routes. The company is advancing plans for a second submarine cable internet breakout point at Kwa Ibo in Akwa Ibom State as part of the rollout of the 2Africa cable system.
The additional landing point is expected to improve redundancy, increase speeds and enhance national network reliability for businesses and consumers. Across the country, Airtel operates approximately 4,000 exclusive retail outlets, providing customer support, device access and digital services in urban centres, small towns and community markets.
The extensive distribution network continues to serve as a key differentiator in improving service accessibility and customer engagement. The expansion forms part of the company’s broader investment strategy aimed at improving network quality, supporting growing internet adoption and reinforcing Nigeria’s digital economy, the operator, which has 650 million customers, said in a statement.
Over the past three years, Airtel Nigeria has increased its national site count from just above 13,000 to nearly 17,200 sites, marking one of the fastest infrastructure scaling phases in the operator’s recent history. The latest deployments have deepened capacity in high-demand urban corridors while expanding high-speed coverage into rural and previously underserved communities.