Airtel Nigeria, the country’s second-largest telecom operator, has expanded its retail network to more than 200,000 locations and over 4,000 exclusive shops nationwide, strengthening access to mobile and digital services as competition intensifies across the telecommunications sector.
The expansion was disclosed on Wednesday by the company in a statement, which said the broader retail network will improve access to SIM registration, airtime and data purchases, device sales, customer support and other digital services through partner stores, neighbourhood agents and channel partners.
“Telecommunications goes beyond the physical infrastructure; it is important that we are able to reach people where they live and work,” Dinesh Balsingh, Airtel Nigeria’s chief executive officer, said in a statement.
Nigeria’s connectivity gap drives telecom expansion
The expansion comes as Nigeria continues efforts to close significant connectivity gaps, particularly in underserved rural communities where millions of residents remain without access to reliable mobile services.
In February 2025, Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, disclosed that about 21 million Nigerians across 4,834 communities—mostly in rural areas—still lack access to mobile connectivity, highlighting the scale of the country’s digital divide.
While telecommunications infrastructure has improved over the years, expansion has struggled to keep pace with rising demand for broadband and mobile services. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said in 2021 that the number of 3G and 4G base transceiver stations (BTS) increased from 30,000 to 53,460 over five years, while fibre optic transmission cables expanded from 47,000 kilometres to 54,725 kilometres.
To accelerate coverage, particularly in unserved and underserved areas, the Federal Government in April 2026 announced plans to install 1,000 telecommunications towers before the end of the year after President Bola Tinubu approved the deployment of 3,700 towers nationwide over the coming years.
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Airtel expands retail network to capture rising digital demand
For Airtel, the retail expansion is part of a broader strategy to strengthen its position in Nigeria’s fast-growing digital economy. The operator, which serves 64.7 million subscribers—about 34.4 percent of the country’s mobile market—is widening access to its products and services as demand for mobile connectivity continues to rise in a sector that contributed ₦18.47 trillion ($13.4 billion), or 8.34 percent, to Nigeria’s real GDP in 2025, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Balsingh said the company’s investment reflects a recognition that expanding network infrastructure alone is not enough to meet customers’ needs, noting that Airtel is equally focused on making its services more accessible through an extensive retail and distribution ecosystem.
“That is why we continue to invest in a strong retail and distribution ecosystem that enables us to bring Airtel closer to our customers while delivering a consistent, high-quality experience wherever they are.”
The strategy aligns with the country’s accelerating appetite for digital services. Nigeria recorded 188 million active mobile subscriptions and more than 120 million broadband subscriptions as of April 2026, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), prompting operators to invest not only in network capacity but also in customer-facing channels that simplify access to telecom services.
Beyond expanding its retail footprint, Airtel has continued to increase network capacity, growing its infrastructure from just over 13,000 sites to nearly 17,200 over the past three years, including the rollout of more than 1,500 new base stations in the last year to improve coverage and service quality.
Sengupta said the company’s nationwide retail presence is underpinned by efficient logistics, strategic partnerships and community engagement, allowing Airtel to deliver its services consistently across the country.
“Our retail network is designed to ensure that our services reach customers efficiently. It is a combination of efficient logistics systems, strong partnerships and local engagement that enables us to consistently meet the needs of our customers across the country,” Sengupta said.