Dinesh Balsingh, CEO of Airtel Nigeria, made the announcement that the company will expand its 5G network and construct Nigeria's largest hyperscale data center as part of its expansion into advanced technology.
These initiatives are designed to position Airtel as a leader in the country’s digital transformation.
Balsingh confirmed the company’s commitment to technological leadership, announcing an accelerated rollout of its 5G network.
He acknowledged that while the adoption of 5G devices in Nigeria is still in its early stages, Airtel is ready to meet future demand.
“We are building what we believe will be Nigeria’s largest hyperscale data center, designed to support not just cloud services but also the next generation of artificial intelligence applications.
This facility will be a major catalyst for Nigeria’s digital economy”, Balsingh said.
Eco-Atlantic and the new data center, which will have a massive IT load of 38 megawatts, are building it together. It represents a significant advancement for Nigeria's technology landscape because it is intended to host hyperscalers and provide the necessary infrastructure for cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI).
Balsingh emphasized the company's strategic efforts to overcome Nigeria's unique infrastructure challenges in order to guarantee consistent connectivity throughout the nation. “Terrains are heavy, and access issues are there. For that, we are employing numerous different strategies. In order to backhaul the traffic, we are talking to Starlink and OneWeb, he explained.
Additionally, he addressed the ongoing issue of construction and vandalism-caused cuts to fiber optic cables. The business has relocated thousands of kilometers of fiber and is actively collaborating with the government to safeguard critical infrastructure in an effort to combat this. “The NCC has done a lot of work in that regard.
The Critical National Infrastructure (CNII) paper, which was signed by the President, has made cutting fiber a criminal offense,” he noted, expressing satisfaction with the regulatory support.
Balsingh emphasized the vital role that Airtel's financial service, Smart Cash, plays in fostering financial inclusion, citing the company's extensive distribution network as a key competitive advantage.
“One of our largest differentiators is distribution. We are available in every single LG, almost in every single ward. We have a massive distribution and we can go to the most interior parts of Nigeria to ensure that our products are available”, he stated.
He detailed how Smart Cash is helping to onboard customers in rural areas and facilitating government-led cash disbursements through a partnership with the National Social Safety Network Coordinating Office (NASCO).
Customers also get a lot for their money when they use the platform to pay for things like airtime and bills with cash back. Airtel Nigeria’s commitment extends beyond business, with a focus on social impact. Balsingh spoke about initiatives in education and youth empowerment.
Balsingh said, "We are giving a lot back on the app," highlighting the company's efforts to offer value.
He also said that Airtel is sponsoring 25,000 tech talent as a key partner in the federal government's 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative. This program will equip young Nigerians with skills for global remote job opportunities.
In addition, the business is committed to improving education by connecting over 1,450 public primary schools to digital learning and providing schoolchildren with free access to data for their educational requirements.
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TECHNOLOGY