Airtel Nigeria CEO highlights data expansion, nationwide connectivity as innovation pillars
L–R: Head, Network Program Management, Joshua Eru; Chief Commercial Officer, Femi Oshinlaja; Director, Airtel Business, Ogo Ofomata; Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dinesh Balsingh; Director, Corporate Communications and CSR, Airtel Nigeria, Femi Adeniran; Director, Marketing, Airtel Nigeria, Ismail Adeshina; and Director, Customer Experience, Oladokun Oye; all of Airtel Nigeria, at a Special Media Roundtable with Airtel Nigeria CEO at Radisson Hotel, Ikeja, on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.
Dinesh Balsingh, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, has reaffirmed the company’s strategic focus on enhancing data capacity and broadening nationwide connectivity to elevate the digital experience of its users.
Speaking during an exclusive media roundtable held at the Radisson Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, Balsingh engaged with senior editors across business, technology, and consumer media to provide insight into Airtel’s service advancements and future roadmap.
L-R: ICT Editor, ThisDay Newspapers, Emma Okonji; Online Editor, The Nation Newspapers, Sunday Oguntola; Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh; Head of Desk: Industry, Manufacturing and MSMEs, The Guardian; Tobi Awodipe; and Brands Editor, BusinessDay, Dan Obi: during a special Media Roundtable with Airtel Nigeria CEO at Radisson Hotel, Ikeja, on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.
Image credit: Airtel Nigeria
The CEO noted the unprecedented rise in data consumption across Nigerian cities—particularly Lagos—driven by rapid urbanization, increasing digitization, and the dominance of mobile-first lifestyles. “Lagos and other urban centers are seeing explosive growth in connected devices and digital services. At Airtel, we view data as essential infrastructure—akin to oxygen,” Balsingh said. “That’s why we’re scaling up investments in 5G technology and fiber-optic networks to ensure we support Nigeria’s evolving digital demands. Our goal is to power everything from education and healthcare to e-commerce and financial inclusion through reliable, high-speed connectivity.”
Among the innovations discussed was Airtel’s Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) model designed to empower local enterprises, partnerships with satellite providers Starlink and OneWeb to extend reach to remote areas, as well as AI-driven customer tools and enhanced data privacy features.
Balsingh also spotlighted key initiatives such as the Spam Alert Service, which filters out over 30 million spam messages monthly, and the construction of NXtra, Nigeria’s upcoming largest data center, set to launch in 2026. On the social investment front, Airtel continues to support national development with programs like the N1 billion commitment to the Three Million Technical Talents (3MTT) initiative, the Adopt-a-School scheme, and Reimagine Education—positively impacting more than 1.5 million students, including 880,000 children in 1,450 schools through a partnership with UNICEF.
“Airtel is unwavering in its mission to extend digital inclusion to every corner of Nigeria, from bustling cities to remote villages,” Balsingh added.
With ongoing deployment of 5G infrastructure and expanded fiber coverage, Airtel is positioning itself to help Nigeria compete in the global digital landscape. The roundtable event showcased Airtel’s dedication to customer-first innovation and its role as a key player in the nation’s digital evolution.
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