Airtel Nigeria targets transparency, customer trust

By Annette Ikponmwonba | November 3, 2026

· It was unveiled on Friday, October 30, 2026, in Lagos before industry stakeholders led by NCC Executive Vice Chairman Dr Aminu Maida

· Nigeria is the first of Airtel Africa’s 14 operating markets to introduce this level of consumer-facing network accountability

· Icons show 4G and 5G sites, sites being upgraded and upcoming sites within a 500-metre radius of the customer’s location

· Airtel warns that a coverage indicator does not guarantee uninterrupted reception in all conditions

Airtel Nigeria CEO Dinesh Balsingh said customers deserve clearer information about the network they depend on and the work being done to improve it. “Trust grows when customers can see what is happening and know that their concerns are being heard. With Open Network, we are giving customers greater visibility into our network and a more direct way to tell us where their experience falls short,” he said.

The company was careful to set expectations. Coverage indicators do not guarantee uninterrupted reception, since indoor penetration, structural barriers, handset specifications and local congestion all affect individual experience. Balsingh stressed that the tool does not by itself resolve service issues or change network performance, and that sustained operational investment is what improves quality, The real test is whether the information proves accurate and whether it leads to faster fixes. If what customers see on the app does not match what they experience, the tool could expose gaps as much as it builds confidence.

Balsingh said the aim is to make network information easy to understand. “The idea is straightforward; we want customers to have a clearer view of the network information available to them, so they can make more informed decisions about their connectivity. This is about making network information easier to access and understand, not asking customers to interpret complex technical details on their own,” he said. He added: “What it offers is a superior starting point for understanding available information and raising concerns clearly when experience differs from expectations. Sustained operational investment is what improves network performance; information is what builds trust.”

Dr Maida welcomed the move as complementary to the NCC’s own work. “Open Network by Airtel is an initiative that can complement the work we do at the NCC. The Commission’s assessment of service quality will continue to be guided by evidence and the standards that apply across the industry. This is why we expect operators to keep improving beyond minimum requirements, including addressing persistent service challenges, as Airtel is demonstrating with this initiative,” he said.

Airtel Nigeria is betting that showing customers exactly where its network stands will build trust, but with the company itself admitting the tool will not fix service problems on its own, the proof will lie in continued investment and better performance.

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