Airtel Nigeria Expands Retail Footprint with 350 New Experience Centres

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

As part of efforts to expand its national retail footprint, Airtel Nigeria has rolled out 350 of the planned 500 premium experience centres designed to bring faster, more convenient service closer to millions of Nigerians.

Built as compact, high-efficiency touchpoints, the newly launched shops are designed to enable subscribers complete all transactions such as Home Broadband, Fibre 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, other enquiries and comprehensive account support.

They have been integrated into Airtel Nigeria’s broader customer experience agenda, which have 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.

The rollout emphasises the organisation’s continued investment in customer experience and responds directly to feedback from customers seeking quicker access to everyday services without the longer waiting times that may be associated with larger retail centres.

At a symbolic launch held at City Mall, Onikan, Lagos, the Director of Sales and Distribution for Airtel Nigeria, Mr Joypratip Sengupta, said, “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 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. 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,” he further stated

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. 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,” Mr Sengupta noted.

In her remarks at the launch, the Head of Shops and Retail Postpaid Business at Airtel Nigeria, Ms Lynda Amechi, disclosed 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. 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.” She said.