Airtel Expands Retail Footprint With 350 New Experience Centres Across Nigeria
Rashidat O. Okunlade Writes, Lagos
Airtel Nigeria, a premier provider of telecommunications and mobile money services has significantly extended its national retail footprint with the rollout of 350 out of a planned 500 premium experience centres, designed to bring faster, more convenient service closer to millions of Nigerians.
The new retail shops, officially unveiled at a symbolic launch at City Mall, Onikan, Lagos, mark the latest phase in Airtel Nigeria’s grand retail strategy. They significantly expand the company’s extensive network of over 9,000 exclusive shops across every local government area, more than 350 premium experience centres, and over 73,000 retailers in top towns and cities nationwide.
Compact, High-Efficiency Touchpoints
Built as compact, high-efficiency touchpoints, the newly launched shops are designed to enable subscribers to complete all transactions, including Home Broadband, Fiber and Outdoor Units Subscription, Postpaid Plan Subscription, Enterprise Applications Enquiry and Subscription, as well as Prepaid Product services such as SIM registration and Data Plan purchase, and other enquiries and comprehensive account support.
Simultaneously, several shops commenced operations at Purple Mall, Lekki; Marina, Lagos Island; Magodo, Lagos; Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta; Trend Setter Mall, Benin; Abakaliki, Ebonyi State; Kano City Mall, Kano; Carpenters Mall, Gwarinpa, Abuja; and other parts of the country.
The rollout emphasises the company’s continued investment in customer experience and responds directly to feedback from customers seeking quicker access to everyday services without the longer waiting times associated with larger retail centres.
Putting Customers First
Speaking on the company’s retail objectives, Joypratip Sengupta, Director, Sales and Distribution, Airtel Nigeria, explained that quality retail experience ultimately drives customer satisfaction.
“Our goal is to demonstrate our dedication to exceptional quality of service, and these new shops, by their design, location, and equipment, fit right within our goal to deliver superior service to every one of our customers,” he said.
He added that the expansion reflects Airtel Nigeria’s belief that excellent customer experience goes beyond technology to ensuring customers can receive support whenever and wherever they need it.
“Our business at Airtel is to ensure that we bring our services closer to our customers, and everything we do is centred on putting the customer first,” Sengupta said. “These experience centres are open to help customers carry out their transactions faster and with greater ease. Whether you want to replace a SIM, purchase one of our routers, recharge airtime or data, or resolve any service issue, you can now do so more conveniently and closer to where you are.”
Reducing Wait Times, Expanding Accessibility
He explained that the initiative represents a significant update to Airtel’s retail strategy, placing greater emphasis on accessibility, speed, and convenience.
“These express shops are designed to reduce traffic at our larger shops while giving customers faster access to the services they need,” Sengupta noted. “More importantly, they reinforce our vision of building the most accessible customer service network in Nigeria. As the telecom operator with the country’s largest retail footprint, we will continue expanding into more neighbourhoods, making it easier for customers to connect with Airtel wherever they are.”
Listening to Customers
In her remarks at the launch, Lynda Amechi, Head, Shops and Retail Postpaid Business, revealed that the new retail model was born from listening to customers and reimagining how Airtel delivers its services.
“At Airtel, some of our best ideas come directly from our customers,” she said. “One of the recurring concerns we received was the time customers sometimes spent waiting at our larger experience centres, even when they only needed simple transactions completed. We listened carefully and realised that many of these requests could be resolved within minutes if we brought our services closer to the communities where customers live and work.”
Integration with Digital Innovation
These new shops are also integrated into Airtel Nigeria’s broader customer experience agenda, which has seen the company continue to invest in digital self-service platforms, AI-powered customer support, nationwide customer forums, and significant network expansion across the country.
With this phase of shop launches, Airtel Nigeria has expanded customer access across the country while integrating digital innovation into physical touchpoints.
