Airtel Retail Expansion Gathers Pace As Group CEO Commissions Premium Experience Centres In Lagos
Rashidat O. Okunlade Writes, Lagos
Sunil Taldar, Group Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Africa, has officially commissioned two new premium experience centres at DAT Mall, Sangotedo, and Marina, Lagos, in a move that underscores the telecom giant’s aggressive nationwide retail expansion and long-term commitment to the Nigerian market.
The new centres are part of Airtel Nigeria’s ongoing rollout of 500 planned premium experience centres across the country, with over 350 already operational. The expansion strategy is designed to bring high-quality customer service closer to communities while providing seamless access to Airtel’s expanding portfolio of connectivity, enterprise, and digital solutions.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Taldar emphasised that the multi-million-dollar investment reflects Airtel Africa’s confidence in Nigeria’s economic potential and its enduring commitment to bolstering the nation’s connectivity infrastructure.
“Nigeria is one of the most important markets in the Airtel Africa portfolio, and our commitment to this country is long term. We continue to invest because we believe in the potential of Nigeria, its people and its economy. These experience centres are part of that investment, giving customers easier access to the quality products and services that connectivity increasingly makes possible,” Taldar said.
Comprehensive customer touchpoints
The premium experience centres are engineered as all-in-one customer touchpoints, providing comprehensive access to Airtel’s consumer and enterprise solutions. Customers can access high-speed home broadband and fibre installations, Outdoor Units (ODU) for business and residential setups, subscription management, account upgrades, renewals, and dedicated after-sales support with prompt issue resolution.
Dinesh Balsingh, CEO of Airtel Nigeria, noted that the retail acceleration directly complements the company’s heavy capital investments in network capacity, ensuring that the physical customer journey matches the technical reliability of the network.
“Quality of service extends across the entire customer journey. It includes the strength and reliability of the network, the quality of our products and the ease with which customers can access support. These premium experience centres bring those elements together in a more convenient environment and give our customers a better way to engage with Airtel,” Balsingh explained.
Nationwide retail footprint
The strategic rollout significantly scales Airtel Nigeria’s physical distribution network. The telco currently maintains a formidable nationwide presence supported by over 9,000 exclusive shops spanning every Local Government Area, more than 350 premium experience centres in key commercial zones, and over 73,000 active retail partners across major towns and cities nationwide.
The new facilities have been configured for maximum efficiency, directly responding to consumer demand for faster, localised service points that minimise transit times for routine transactions. This customer-first approach has shaped the entire retail design, aimed at maximising accessibility, speed, and overall user satisfaction.
The latest openings build on the nationwide retail expansion announced earlier this month, when Airtel Nigeria unveiled 350 of the 500 premium experience centres planned for this year. The initiative forms part of a wider customer experience strategy that includes digital self-service platforms, AI-powered customer support, nationwide customer forums, and continued network expansion.
With the DAT Mall Sangotedo and Marina centres now fully operational, Airtel Nigeria continues to solidify its infrastructure footprint, ensuring a more responsive, accessible, and future-ready customer experience across the country.
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Rashidat Olushola Okunlade
Publisher/Editor in-Chief BusinessEcho Magazine Print monthly and ROTAMediaNews Digital Newspaper Publication
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