Technology
How This AI Alert by Airtel is Transforming Mobile Security in Africa
These days, people rely heavily on their mobile phones for talking, texting, banking, social media, and storing important personal information. Because of this, scammers and spammers often target phone users.
Mobile fraud, like fake SMS messages and scams, is becoming more common and putting millions at risk of losing money or having their private details stolen.
Airtel’s new AI-powered Spam Alert Service offers a smart and timely way to fight back, marking a major step forward in protecting mobile users in Africa.
A brief look at mobile fraud and spam
Mobile fraud and spam are problems around the world, but they hit harder in places where mobile phone use is growing fast, and safety measures haven’t caught up.
A 2024 report from GSMA Mobile Economy shows that more than 20% of mobile users globally have experienced some kind of mobile fraud, with spam texts being one of the most common.
In Nigeria, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has noted a sharp rise in scam messages and fake calls, leading to yearly losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
These spam texts often include fake links, harmful ads, or tricks to steal personal details. Many people get caught without knowing, which can lead to stolen bank money, identity theft, or damaged devices.
Older spam blockers only work on certain phones or apps, leaving many people, especially those using basic phones, without protection.
Why Airtel’s AI Spam Alert Service stands out
Airtel, a top telecom company in Africa, has launched a new and free service called the AI Spam Alert Service. It’s the first of its kind in Africa and aims to protect mobile users from spam text messages as they come in.
What makes this service different is that it doesn’t read or check the actual message content. Instead, it uses advanced artificial intelligence to quickly study the sender’s behaviour using over 250 signs or patterns, all within a fraction of a second.
Some of those parameters, according to Airtel, includes:
- How frequently the sender changes SIM cards.
- The volume and frequency of messages sent by the message initiator to different recipients.
- The geographical spread of the recipient numbers, whether messages are targeted locally or dispersed nationwide.
- Whether the sender receives replies or only sends messages.
- A cross-reference of numbers previously reported for spam activity.
The AI completes this analysis in just 2 milliseconds, faster than the blink of an eye, allowing real-time alerts to subscribers as suspected spam messages arrive.
How Airtel’s Spam Alert Service improves mobile safety and trust
Airtel’s new AI-powered spam alert system is set to make a big difference in mobile security across Nigeria and the rest of Africa. Instead of depending on users to block spam themselves, the service works directly through the network to stop suspicious messages before they reach people’s phones.
This kind of technology helps users feel safer and more confident using mobile networks—especially as more people rely on their phones for banking and other money-related services.
A 2025 report by McKinsey Digital shows that many Africans worry about mobile security when using digital financial tools. By reducing the risk of spam and fraud, Airtel is not only protecting its users but also helping to build a safer digital space where more people can take part in the growing mobile economy.
According to Airtel, within two months of its launch, the spam alert service system has identified 9,667,008 messages as potential spam.
Why this is a game changer
By building a service that is first-of-its-kind in Africa, Airtel is leading the way in offering spam alerts, powered by AI directly on its network, for over 150 million subscribers across the continent.
In addition, the service is quick, spotting suspicious sender activity in just milliseconds without reading users’ messages.
Finally, the service is free and requires no app downloads or extra setup. Airtel says the turns on automatically, making it easy for everyone to stay protected, even those using basic phones.
By sending signals to users before problems happen, Airtel boosts trust and encourages more people to safely use mobile money and other digital services.
Scammers are always finding new ways to trick consumers through the ubiquitous mobile phones, so increased demand for security improvements is, understandably, shifting to telecom companies. Airtel’s AI Spam Alert Service is a strong and timely move toward better, smarter protection for users. As more people start using the service, it should help cut down fraud, keep personal information safe, and make mobile use more enjoyable.
As African economies continue to grow more digital, users of telecom services will need more secure and reliable ways to communicate, and Airtel is leading the way towards that safe future.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Bharti Airtel has crossed 650 million mobile subscribers worldwide to emerge as the world’s second-largest telecommunications firm.
The Indian company has operations in several countries, including Nigeria, where it has continued to scale infrastructure at a pace unmatched in its recent history.
Over the past three years, the telco has increased its national site count from just above 13,000 to nearly 17,200 sites, including more than 1,560 added in the last 12 months.
This expansion deepens capacity in high-demand corridors and extends high-speed coverage to previously underserved regions.
The latest industry data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) underscores the significance of this growth. As of December 2025, Nigeria recorded 145,141 base stations across 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G layers.
Of this national infrastructure, Airtel accounts for 46,918 base-station layers, reflecting its substantial contribution to the country’s radio access network and its push to absorb rising data consumption.
Nearly 99 per cent of Airtel Nigeria’s sites are now 4G-enabled, positioning the operator as one of the few with a near-ubiquitous high-speed broadband footprint. Thousands of sites have been upgraded for capacity in the past year alone, enabling improved speeds and more stable performance during peak usage.
That expansion underpins Nigeria’s rising internet adoption. According to the latest regulator figures, Nigeria’s internet penetration recently climbed above 50 per cent, with Airtel recording among the largest monthly increases in new internet subscribers, driven by network upgrades across states and rural corridors.
Strategic Connectivity and Redundancy
Airtel is also tackling a critical infrastructure challenge for the Nigerian digital economy: reliance on a single international internet gateway. The company is advancing plans for its second submarine cable internet breakout point at Kwa Ibo in Akwa Ibom State, early in the 2Africa cable system rollout, to provide faster and more resilient national connectivity across regions. This significant investment aligns with global best practices in network diversity and redundancy, ensuring a more stable digital experience for consumers and enterprises alike.
Digital Finance at Scale: SmartCash
Airtel’s digital finance arm, SmartCash, has gained traction in Nigeria’s competitive mobile money ecosystem, now serving over 3 million active users. The platform is supported by an expansive agent network and digital services that lower barriers for everyday financial transactions and savings.
Outstanding Human Touch: Retail Reach
Across Nigeria, Airtel’s retail distribution network stands as one of the sector’s most extensive, with approximately 4,000 exclusive outlets bringing services, support, and products closer to customers in small towns, communities, and high-traffic urban hubs. That footprint drives both access and engagement in a market where localised presence remains a competitive differentiator.
As Nigeria’s digital economy continues to evolve, Airtel is committed to sustained innovation — from expanded fibre backbones and advanced mobile broadband to future-ready services that include satellite-enabled solutions and enterprise-grade digital platforms. These efforts help ensure that connectivity, commerce, and creativity thrive across Nigeria and beyond.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria has set 2028 and 2029 as the timeline for the deployment of its new satellites, NIGCOMSAT-2A and 2B, respectively.
The Managing Director of NIGCOMSAT, which is Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited and the premier satellite operator in Nigeria, Mrs Jane Nkechi Egerton-Idehen, disclosed this at the second Nigerian Satellite Week in Abuja on Monday. She noted that the development is expected to boost military intelligence, surveillance, and regional connectivity.
“For 2A and 2B, we have started the process. We have closed the tender and are now back into the financing and implementation stage. 2A is built to come up in 2028, and 2B for 2029.
“When they are up and running, they are expected to provide security within the borders and neighbouring countries. They will support the security agencies because data collection and intelligence in real time is important. Satellites like communication satellites allow that, irrespective of where they are,” she said.
In his remarks, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijani, said the satellites form part of the nation’s strategy to strengthen digital infrastructure.
Mr Tijani explained that the satellites will complement ongoing investments in 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable and nearly 4,000 telecom towers, which are being rolled out nationwide and extended to neighbouring countries, including Cameroon, Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, and the Republic of Benin.
He stressed that satellite technology is critical for national development, affecting education, agriculture, business, and emergency response.
“The president’s approval of NIGCOMSAT-2A and 2B demonstrates a clear commitment to building the future. These satellites will enhance security, connect remote communities, and extend our fibre-optic network into neighbouring countries,” he said.
“Some of these neighbouring countries pay up to ten times more for internet capacity than Lagos. Extending our fibre network will not only improve connectivity but also enhance border security and regional collaboration.
“Satellite technology affects everything, from how a child in a rural community accesses the internet to how farmers make critical decisions and how businesses operate across distance,” the Minister said.
Also speaking, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, welcomed the development, saying the military will leverage the satellites for operational efficiency.
“The Nigerian Army will continue to use space assets to improve intelligence gathering, surveillance, and operational coordination across all theatres of operation,” he said at the event, represented by Major General Kennedy Osemwegie, Commander of the Nigerian Army Cyber Warfare Command (NACWC).
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A partnership to advance digital payments and financial inclusion across East Africa has been strengthened between Interswitch and KCB Group.
Both parties have agreed to expand digital payment infrastructure and deliver innovative financial solutions that meet the evolving needs of individuals, businesses, and institutions across the region.
The aim is to accelerate seamless, secure, and inclusive digital payments in East Africa, where the leading Africa-focused integrated payments and digital commerce enabler, Interswitch, recently announced an expansion of Verve card acceptance footprint, leveraging its consolidated partnership with KCB Group, Kenya’s largest financial services group by assets, following a similar move in Uganda through the local KCB Franchise in February 2022.
During a recent executive engagement at KCB Group headquarters in Nairobi, the chief executive of Interswitch, Mr Mitchell Elegbe, held high-level discussions with KCB leadership, including its chief executive, Paul Russo.
At the core of the strengthened collaboration is the integration of Interswitch’s robust payment rails, card scheme, and emerging digital token solutions with KCB Group’s expansive regional footprint and trusted banking franchise.
This integration enables the acceptance of Verve cards and tokenised payment solutions across KCB’s extensive merchant point-of-sale network in Kenya and Uganda, significantly enhancing everyday usability for customers while strengthening KCB’s digitally driven retail payments offering.
The consolidated partnership is expected to drive increased merchant acquisition, improve interoperability across payment ecosystems, and expand access to secure, cashless transactions. It also reinforces both organisations’ shared objective of deepening financial inclusion and accelerating digital commerce across East Africa.
“Our collaboration with KCB Group represents a powerful alignment of vision and capability. By combining our technology-driven payment solutions with KCB’s strong regional presence, we are unlocking new opportunities to scale access, drive innovation, and deliver greater value to customers across East Africa,” Mr Elegbe stated.
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