Twenty media professionals across the country have been selected for the maiden Media Innovation Programme by MTN Nigeria (MTN-MIP) in partnership with the School of Media and Communications, Pan-Atlantic University.
The six-month fully funded fellowship is for innovative storytellers and media leaders that will equip them with new skills needed to function in the rapidly changing media world.
The MTN Media Innovation Programme (MTN-MIP) began on May 23, 2022 and will run until October 28, 2022.
The MTN-MIP Fellows cut across print, broadcast, online and social media.
Wondering who the 2022 MTN-MIP Fellows are? See their bios below!
1. Abidemi Diaro
Abidemi Dairo is a Senior producer/reporter with Channels Television and has been reporting on the showbiz industry since November 2008.
He is a seasoned journalist with a background in traditional print media. Before transiting to broadcast, Dairo received certification in journalism and special reporting from the Timbuktu Media Training Institute.
From movies to music, fashion and general lifestyle stories, he has reported from within and outside the shores of the country and has interviewed celebrities from Nigeria and abroad.
He has displayed exemplary knowledge of the showbiz industry and has been featured as a subject matter analyst on some other media platforms. He currently produces the daily Entertainment News on Channels Television.
2. Adeyemi Adepetun
Adeyemi Adepetun is the Assistant Editor, Communications and Technology Desk at The Guardian Newspaper. He holds both an MSc and BSc in Mass Communications; MBA in Finance and HND in Banking and Finance. He is also an Associate of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (ANIPR).
Adeyemi has 15 years of journalism experience and nine years specifically in the reportage of information and communications technology (ICT).
On the ICT desk, he has written several stories that have shaped the sector and equally set the agenda for government at the different levels.
He is a well-travelled journalist, within and outside Africa, for training, and coverage of telecoms, ICT and business conferences. He has also won several industry recognitions and awards.
He is currently the MTN Telecoms Reporter of the Year 2020 at the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA). Adeyemi is married with kids. He is gentle, inquisitive, helpful and loves reading and travelling.
3. Agbonkhese Oboh
Agbonkhese Oboh is a hands-on and motivated team player. He is an expert communicator, writer and editor.
He is Deputy Online Editor – currently acting as Online Editor – of Vanguard Newspapers. He has a strong background in newspaper publication, networking in the media space and creating a presence in the multi-media space.
Currently, he is getting grounded in videography, video and photo editing, digital reporting, audience interaction and engagement and specific writing for a specific online audience.
He has a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Mass Communication, Auchi Polytechnic; Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, both in Literature-in-English. The first is from Lagos State University (LASU), and the other, the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
Agbonkhese has been commended for his emotional intelligence and enjoys learning and teaching.
4. Ameh Ejekwonyilo
Ameh Ejekwonyilo is a Senior Reporter on the Judiciary, Human Rights and Anti-corruption Desk of Premium Times Newspaper. He is also a joint winner of Premium Times’ Best Story of the Year 2021.
Ameh is also a 2021 grantee of the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Journalists, which was sponsored by the National Geographic Society, Washington, U.S.
He writes on the impacts of violent conflicts on vulnerable people.
He applied for the MTN Nigeria Media Innovation Programme (MIP) with hopes to acquire innovative skills in the telecommunications sector. He also sought to be a part of the MIP in order to horn his journalistic skills with a view to exploring entrepreneurial opportunities in the media and technology industry.
5. Chima Akwaja
Chima Akwaja is the Technology Editor of Leadership.. He elevates ICT reporting in Nigeria with major exclusives, breaking news, and incisive and carefully researched feature articles.
Popularly called “The HOD”, Chima has covered numerous ICT events across the globe. His working experiences cut across National Newspapers, International Tech Magazines and Online Media.
He was a Lead Contributor to the INVEST IN NIGERIA 2010 Handbook, a foreign investment publication for Nigerian High Commission, United Kingdom.
Chima is a winner of the 2006 AISI Media Awards of the ECA/AISI/IICD; 2009 IT Champion Award by the Information Technology (Industry) Association of Nigeria (ITAN); ICT Journalist of the Year at the Titans of Tech 2019 Awards; Most Outstanding ICT Editor 2019 and ICT Editor of the Decade 2020 at the Africa Digital Awards respectively.
Chima holds M.A and B.Sc degrees in Mass Communications from the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) and Imo State University, Owerri (IMSU).
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He has attended training sessions at Pan Atlantic University, and the International Institute of Journalism (IIJ), among others.
6. Damilola Fajinmi
Damilola Fajinmi is a Media & Communications Professional with a demonstrated history of over eight years working in the media production industry. She is a radio broadcaster, content creator, voice actor, and scriptwriter, and is also skilled in marketing communications, and media buying.
Dami Faj as she is called by her faves is a family and health enthusiast. This passion led to the creation of her radio shows; Parenting Conversations with Dami Faj on Beat 97.9 FM Ibadan and Sabi Ya Health. She also co-anchors Toko Taya (Mr & Mrs ) an indigenous program on Naija 102.7 Ibadan.
She is outgoing and very energetic with strong communication and interpersonal skills. She is a well-organised professional with a track record that demonstrates self-motivation, creativity and initiative to achieve corporate and personal goals. In November 2021 she won an award for best performance in Media Plan Compliance in the southwest region.
Damilola is interested in young adults and she enjoys helping them discover who they are so they can think bigger and build better.
Damilola loves music, podcasts and checklists and loves to learn and apply. She enjoys quiet moments, reading, watching movies and spending quality time with her family.
7. Daniel Adeyemi
Daniel Adeyemi is curious about how technology is impacting the lives of Africans. As a senior reporter at TechCabal, Daniel writes mostly about big tech and high growth companies operating in Africa. He shares insights from investors in the African ecosystem through his bi-monthly column, Ask an Investor.
Before joining TechCabal, he spent the past 4 years working in the tech and consulting industry as an Accountant.
Outside work, Daniel spends his time reading, playing/watching soccer, volunteering with the TEDxLagos team and occasionally painting masterpieces.
He applied for the Media Innovation Programme in order to gain an expanded view of the media space and to become more valuable to his organisation and society.
8. Elsie Godwin
Elsie Godwin is a versatile Media Personality – TV/Radio Presenter & Producer, Blogger, Writer, Conversationalist, Content Creator, Facilitator and Marketing, Brands & Corporate Communication Specialist.
She is a Co-Anchor & Co-Producer on WAYS Show Africa showing weekdays on DSTV CH 408/Startimes Ch 308/GOTV Ch 112 and the producer and Anchor of Reviews on the Couch.
Her passion for creating content and impactful conversation led her into broadcasting where she has interviewed over 300 successful businessmen and women, across different industries in Nigeria, Africa & Beyond.
She is passionate about telling stories of and having conversations with successful people in order to help shape the Nigerian and African narrative and to mentor the younger generation.
In her capacity as a media influencer, she works closely with media agencies (BHM, Plaqad, H+K Strategies, DottsMedia, Alder Consulting, Anakle, etc) to help create and share amazing brand stories. She’s also a Google influencer affiliate.
9. Esther Ndu
Esther Ndu is a News Producer currently working at Arise News. She co-produces the mid-day news, the exchange news and the entertainment news daily. In addition to her day job as a journalist, she is also a member of the board of trustees in a private primary school.
Esther believes in broadcasting authentic news in a simple and easy to understand manner. She has been named producer of the year and is reliable when given tasks.
Esther holds a BA in Classics from the University of Ibadan and a professional certificate in Basic Presentation from the National Broadcast Academy, Nigeria. She is always seeking knowledge in order to impact her generation meaningfully, as she believes that everything should be done to better humankind and honour God.
She joined the Media Innovation Programme in order to learn more about the nexus between information and communication technology and how to use these to improve the media sector in Nigeria.
She loves children and hopes to write about them. She also cherishes her quiet time.
10. Mike Okwoche
Mike Okwoche is an award-winning international broadcast journalist. He is a Senior Anchor and Head of Newscasters at Television Continental (TVC) in Lagos, Nigeria.
He is a graduate of Public Administration from the University of Maiduguri in Borno State. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the National Open University of Nigeria.
He is an Associate Lecturer at the Nigeria Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Lagos as an instructor on Broadcast Presentation. He is the Country Director of media and communications for Mater Africa, an international NGO on humanitarian aid based in Italy and Nigeria.
He is an Alumnus of the United States International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP), a program he ran in Washington DC, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina and California.
He has bagged the Newscaster of the Year award by the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA) in 2019. He also won the Nigeria Broadcasters Merit Award (NBMA) in 2014.
He was the project coordinator of the Media Literacy campaign for the U.S. Department of State in Nigeria which was administered by AlumniTIES in Washington DC.
Mike is the President of the United States Government Exchange Alumni Association in Nigeria, an association created by the United States Mission in Nigeria to rally U.S. exchange alumni members in partnership to cause positive social change wherever they are.
He is the founder of Rewired Africa Media Network, a media content agency passionate about civic education, training, advocacy and mentoring in Nigeria.
He is married to Emem Okwoche with two lovely daughters, Elsie and Eliana.
11. Nahimah Ajikanle Nurudeen
Nahimah Ajikanle Nurudeen is the Founder and Lead Strategist at TenticP Communications Nigeria Limited.
She is a seasoned journalist and media practitioner with over 14 years of experience in the Media industry. She is currently the Managing Editor, AP News published by TenticP Communications.
Nahimah has a keen history of working in the media industry with excellent skill demonstrations in Corporate Communications, Strategic Planning, Marketing Communication, News Writing and Editing as well as Advocacy/ Communication for Social Change.
Having worked previously with Daily Trust newspapers covering several sectors of the Nigerian economy, she has deep knowledge of the nation’s business environment and social, cultural and political landscape.
Nahimah holds a Master’s degree in Mass Communications from the University of Lagos and is currently a PhD student at the Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo.
She is widely travelled for both local and international workshops and training.
12. Peter Oluka
Peter Oluka Ikenna is a practicing ICT Journalist; Technopreneur, Speech Writer, amongst other Media & Public Relations interests.
He is currently running TechEconomy.ng, a digital news platform that focuses on Business-People-Platforms-Institutions leveraging technology to enhance productivity and challenge the quantum of inadequacies in emerging economies like Nigeria/Africa.
Prior to that, he worked at the Nigeria CommunicationsWeek – a medium with a penchant for ICT reportage – as a Senior Reporter.
Peter started his mainstream journalism in 2010 with the Nigerian NewsDirect Newspaper.
He also co-founded GrassRoots.ng, a news platform rooted in speaking for the global citizen.
He also superintended the launch of NewsRepublic247.com.
Peter is currently the Vice President, Marketing & Communications, Njalo.ng; an online marketplace for ‘Classified’.
He obtained PGD (Mass Communications) from NOUN in 2015 and HND (Mass Communication) from the Institute of Management and Technology, IMT, Enugu in 2008.
Peter describes his quest for journalism and media practices as exceptional.
13. Rasaq Ayinla
Razaq Adesanya Ayinla is a journalist with over 15 years of practice. He has valuable experience in both Broadcast and Print Journalism.
He began his career as a Graduate Intern at Cub Reporter and graduated as Staff Reporter, Proof-Reader, Assistant Editor, Regional Editor and News Editor.
He currently prepares, collates and edits news stories and features from Southwest and Kwara States.
He edits and produces news across western Nigeria for BusinessDay and makes daily editorial contributions to the paper’s general and specialised pages.
14. Sakina Ahmed
Sakina Ahmed began her career in broadcast journalism when she was employed by the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria as an Assistant Translator and posted to one of its FM stations in Yola in 2011.
She is currently working as a Reporter for Fombina FM Yola with a passion for reporting on health, the environment and women and girl child rights.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Language and Communication Arts from Modibbo Adamawa University, Yola
She applied for the MTN Media innovation program to gain the required innovative skills needed to recognize opportunities that will help her improve her career prospects and equally be an important contribution to society.
15. Samson Akintaro
Samson Akintaro is a seasoned journalist with a knack for technology reporting. Akintaro started his journalism career in 2005 at the now-defunct Financial Standard Newspaper, from where he was drafted to the ICT Desk as a young reporter.
Being a versatile reporter, he joined another special publication, Stockswatch, in 2008, where he became a Capital Market correspondent for the paper. However, his love of tech reporting saw him move to a specialised and one of the leading ICT Magazines in the country, IT & Telecom Digest, in April 2011.
At IT & Telecom Digest, he rose from the position of a reporter to become a senior editorial staff of the publication, taking responsibility for the editorial content of the Magazine, while projecting the industry to the world through his reportage.
In April 2018, he joined the New Telegraph Newspaper as ICT Editor, a position he currently occupies. His incisive and illuminating writings about the Nigerian ICT/Telecom industry earned him a nomination for the Telecom Reporter of the Year in 2019 at the Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA). In 2020, he emerged as ICT Reporter of The Year, at the prestigious Africa Digital Awards (ADA).
In April 2022, he joined Nairametrics as Tech Analyst, where he continues to report and analyse issues in the ICT industry.
16. Temitayo Jaiyeola
Temitayo Jaiyeola is a technology correspondent at the PUNCH newspaper. He is interested in stories that explore the intersection between tech and human activities. He is a data enthusiast, loves numbers, and insists that he should have studied Economics.
He writes prose and poetry when he isn’t haunted by the ghost of deadlines. Some of his writings have received positive nods — he was second runner-up for the Quramo Writers Prize in 2019.
When he is not writing or reading, he often folds inwards or takes random strolls.
17. Ugo Onwuaso
Onwuaso Ugochukwu Francis, is a tech and ICT enthusiast, working with Nigeria CommunicationsWeek as a Senior Correspondent covering ICT, Business and Logistics.
He believes that technology is at the core of our ever-changing and evolving world and has written several articles on technology since he started covering the sector.
He has received several professional and capacity trainings on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) organized by reputable companies like Google, Microsoft, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), etc.
Ugochukwu is the 2019 and 2021 winner of CommunicationsWeek’s Best Employee of the Year award.
Ugochukwu is a native of Awka, in Anambra State and is married with four beautiful children.
He holds a post-graduate degree in Public Administration (MPA) from Lagos State University, and an HND degree in Business Administration and Management from Lagos State Polytechnic, Isolo.
18. Uhuotu Omilabu
Uhuotu Omilabu is a young, aspiring and resourceful broadcast journalist with a strong passion to stay above mediocrity as a reporter, editor and compere.
With a degree in Communication Arts, Uhuotu has contributed to the media space with reports on topical issues bothering on women and girls’ issues, health, education, agriculture etc.
She has been a part of several training sessions within her state of practice and across the nation. Uhuotu currently serves in the News Department of Inspiration FM, Uyo as a producer, reporter, editor and show host which highlights her versatility in the media profession.
Holding fast to honesty and integrity as core values, her philosophy is to treat people the way you want to be treated. She strongly believes that this will make the world a better place. Uhuotu is married with children.
19. Vanessa Obioha
Vanessa Obioha, a writer and a journalist joined THISDAY Newspapers in 2012 as a contributing writer.
She became a staff member in 2016, covering lifestyle and entertainment. However, she has ranged broadly across the newspaper pages, reporting on politics, business, sports, tourism, human interest, and other subjects.
She has also profiled prominent personalities in the entertainment and lifestyle sector in the lifestyle section of the Sunday paper, The Glitterati.
In 2015, she was nominated for the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Awards.
Vanessa is also interested in poetry and has taken a screenwriting course with the New York Film Academy. She is a graduate of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism with distinction in Mass Communication.
With an eclectic taste in music, she enjoys listening to beautiful sounds, watching films and TV series, reading, travelling and discovering new cultures.
20. Wasilat Azeez
Wasilat Azeez is a finance journalist, data enthusiast and fact-checker. She holds a first-class honours bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos.
She began her journalism career as a graduate intern with the Cable Newspaper Journalism Foundation (CNJF) in 2020. Upon completing the programme, she got automatic employment at The Cable, Nigeria’s independent online newspaper.
She is passionate about spotlighting women and persons with disabilities (PWDs), especially those who have made outstanding records in their respective fields by overcoming barriers and beating the odds to reach their goals.
As a budding academic in gender and development, Wasilat has co-authored a research paper on The Role of Associations of Women Journalists in Promoting the Interests of Female Journalists in Nigeria.
She believes that the MTN-MIP will help her grow in her journalism career by increasing her knowledge of the telecoms industry.
Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good.
He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader,
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Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have proposed that customers must receive refunds within 30 seconds for failed airtime and data purchases to curb persistent billing complaints in the telecommunications sector.
This was indicated in the Exposure Draft of the Joint CBN–NCC Framework for Resolution of Failed Airtime and Data Purchase Transactions, which was published on the website of the CBN on Monday.
The landmark exposure draft, dated 5 February 2026, seeks to “institutionalise clear accountability” and establish a “coordinated approach to consumer redress” across the financial and telecommunications sectors.
The most significant shift in the proposed framework is the introduction of standardised, automated timelines for resolving failed transactions.
Currently, Nigerians often face long delays when airtime purchases fail at the bank, aggregator, or Mobile Network Operator level.
To solve this, the regulators have proposed a 30-second window for automated reversals. Section 6.0 (ii) of the draft exposure, which dwelt on failed transactions, especially as it relates to unfulfilled airtime/data delivery, proposes a time to refund the purchaser of 30 seconds “if the transaction failed at the bank level… Failed transaction delivery from NCC Authorised Licensees… Failed transaction delivery from MNO to the NCC Authorised Licensee.”
The draft emphasised that stakeholders must “automate reversal processes across all stakeholders” to ensure that refunds require no human intervention from the customer.
The draft exposure also stated that “all parties involved in airtime and data transactions shall take the following actions to ease usage and facilitate consumer satisfaction: a. Stakeholders must immediately connect ONLY to relevant authorised licensees of the NCC and CBN. b. MNOs and banks must only connect to NCC Authorised Licensees/MNO digital channel partners for airtime and data vending… Notifications of failure create final settlement obligations between MNO and NCC-authorised licensees… The NCC and CBN will audit stakeholder compliance jointly or individually at quarterly or other intervals as may be determined.”
From a business and oversight perspective, the regulators are proposing a Central Monitoring Dashboard to be hosted jointly by the CBN and NCC, which will track reversals, Service Level Agreement breaches, and customer complaints in real-time.
“There shall be a Central Monitoring Dashboard hosted by CBN/NCC for tracking reversals, SLA breaches, and customer complaints. This will facilitate the establishment of a real-time national ‘Failed Transactions Dashboard’ with a uniform error code with end-to-end visibility across the value chain’, read the draft exposure.
This is designed to eliminate the “unclear ownership of liability” that often occurs when banks and telcos blame each other for failed recharges. To support this, banks and MNOs will be required to maintain and share daily reports of successful and failed cases.
The proposed framework also addresses the common problem of “lost” money when customers recharge ported phone numbers. The draft mandates that MNOs must validate a phone number against the ported number database before processing any recharge. If the system identifies a number as ported out or invalid, it must “proactively stop recharges” and send a failure code back to the bank to ensure the customer is not debited.
For erroneous recharges sent to the wrong person, the framework sets clear protocols: below N20,000, MNOs will request the recipient’s consent before a reversal, and when it is above N20,000, an affidavit of indemnity or notarised letter is required to process the recovery.
The CBN and NCC in the exposure draft signalled they will take a firm stance on compliance. Both agencies will conduct joint quarterly audits of all stakeholders, including banks, payment service providers, and MNOs, to verify compliance with the new rules. The regulators have warned they will “impose penalties for any breach” of the framework’s provisions.
Banks and other financial institutions have until 10 February 2026 to submit their inputs on the draft before it is finalised. Once implemented, the framework is expected to significantly restore “subscriber trust” in Nigeria’s digital financial ecosystem.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has officially begun a review of the National Telecommunications Policy 2000 (NTP), nearly three decades after its adoption, citing rapid technological shifts and evolving market realities that have outpaced the existing framework.
The Commission announced the launch of the review on Monday, releasing a consultation paper to solicit input from stakeholders on proposed updates to the policy.
According to the NCC, the overhaul aims to reposition Nigeria’s telecommunications framework to reflect contemporary trends in digital services, internet governance, satellite communications, broadband expansion, and universal access, while sustaining the sector’s role as a key driver of economic growth.
The NCC explained that the National Telecommunications Policy 2000 itself replaced the 1998 policy, introducing full market liberalisation, stakeholder consultation, and a unified regulatory framework under the NCC. Approved under a nascent democratic government, the policy marked a decisive shift from state control to competition and market-driven growth.
“Prior to the liberalisation midwifed by the NTP, Nigeria’s telecommunications sector was dominated by the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), which was a government-owned monopoly,” the Commission said. “NITEL was reputably characterized by obsolete equipment, poor quality of service and low teledensity.”
Just as the 1998 framework became obsolete due to global technological changes, the NCC says the 2000 policy now requires a comprehensive overhaul to address today’s realities, including platform-driven digital services, broadband-dependent applications, and emerging non-terrestrial networks.
The policy laid the foundation for the licensing of GSM operators in 2001 and 2002, transforming the market almost overnight. Mobile subscriptions quickly surpassed fixed-line users, revealing massive pent-up demand and market potential.
More significantly, the NTP paved the way for the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, which established a strong statutory and regulatory framework for the sector.ion said. “NITEL was reputably characterized by obsolete equipment, poor quality of service and low teledensity.”
Since then, the telecommunications industry has grown into one of Nigeria’s most vibrant sectors, attracting unprecedented foreign direct investment and contributing significantly to GDP.
The NCC acknowledged that the policy played a central role in enabling e-commerce, digital financial services, and the broader digital economy, marking Nigeria’s transition from a slow-moving, state-controlled telecom sector to a competitive and innovation-driven market.
The NCC’s review proposes targeted updates to several chapters of the policy.
Chapter Seven, covering the Internet, is set for revision to strengthen online safety, deepen internet exchange protocols, and provide clearer guidance on content moderation and digital services operating in Nigeria.
Chapter Eight, on Satellite Communications, will be updated to create a modern framework for satellite harmonisation, upstream and downstream service provisioning, and coexistence between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.
The NCC says this will include clearer spectrum mapping to improve service quality and provide cost-effective universal connectivity.
Chapter Ten, on Financing and Funding, will also be revised to address monetary and fiscal measures needed to stimulate sector growth, particularly in the context of ongoing tax and fiscal reforms.
The Commission is seeking stakeholder input on solutions to persistent challenges, including multiple taxation and overlapping regulations.
Beyond revising existing chapters, the NCC proposes a new chapter focused on broadband objectives, protection of critical national communications infrastructure, harmonisation of right-of-way charges across all government tiers, and the introduction of a one-stop permitting process for telecom infrastructure deployment.
Despite significant growth in the sector over the years, high right-of-way costs remain a major barrier to telecom expansion.
These costs not only slow infrastructure deployment but also drive up operational expenses.
According to NCC data, operating costs for telecom operators in Nigeria jumped by 85% to N5.85 trillion in 2024, largely due to right-of-way charges.
Airtel Nigeria over the weekend, disclosed that 99 per cent of its sites now deliver high-speed 4G mobile broadband.
Speaking at a media parley in Lagos, Mr Dinesh Balsingh, managing director and chief executive officer, said the operator is now a full nationwide 4G network provider.
He further disclosed that since December 2023, the operator has increased its sites by 15.5 per cent, adding 2,242 new locations to bring its total to nearly 16,711 nationwide, with further deployments planned across urban and rural communities in 2026.
Similarly, the network capacity upgrades have also reached significant scale. In 2025, Airtel enhanced capacity on 30 per cent of its sites, covering over 5,032 locations nationwide.
The Company’s CEO who unveiled a comprehensive update on its network, fibre and technology investments, said the upgrades executed over the last 12 to 24 months are designed to strengthen capacity, expand coverage and reinforce long-term resilience across the country’s telecommunications
“Over the last two years, we have invested with discipline and clarity to strengthen our network nationwide. Those investments are now translating into measurable improvements in performance, customer experience and reach, including in underserved and hard-to-reach communities,” Balsingh said.
He added that the pace of upgrades will intensify in 2026, stressing that, “Nigeria’s data appetite is growing, and leadership in this industry will belong to those who plan ahead. That is why we are accelerating these upgrades to stay ahead of demand.”
Also speaking, Harmanpreet Singh Dhillon, chief technology officer, said spectrum depth remains critical to performance.
“We have increased our 4G spectrum by 10MHz and we are actively optimising our holdings. These actions allow us to support higher data throughput, better speeds and more consistent service, especially in high-traffic areas,” he said.
Airtel is also accelerating its 5G rollout, with the number of active 5G sites more than doubling in the last three months. The upgrade is set to connect the top 20 Nigerian cities, with a significant portion of Airtel’s network in these locations becoming 5G-enabled within the coming year.
Airtel is also expanding its fibre backbone across almost all states. Following its decision to double capital expenditure, the company committed to growing its fibre network by 25 per cent, with intensive rollout ongoing across cities and inter-state routes.
Airtel further announced plans to activate a second internet breakout from the South via the 2Africa submarine cable, with traffic to be carried from Kwa-IAkwa Ibom State.
“This will create a faster and alternative path for large parts of the North and South and improve resilience for the entire ecosystem,” Balsingh said.
