By Ayomide Otitoju
In a continued push toward national digital transformation, Airtel Nigeria has convened top executives in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) as well as utilities sectors for a high-level, two-day workshop aimed at co-developing technology-driven solutions tailored to critical economic sectors.
Held from July 8 to 9, 2025, at the Lagos Continental Hotel, the exclusive event brought together C-suite stakeholders, technology partners, and sectoral regulators under the themes:
“Banking on Innovation: Powering Financial Services with Connectivity” (Day 1), and
“Accelerating Nigeria’s Digital Leap: Smarter Networks, Smarter Business” (Day 2).
Delivering the keynote address, Dinesh Balsingh, Managing Director and CEO of Airtel Nigeria, reaffirmed the company’s strategic role in enabling digital infrastructure that powers the nation’s growth across finance and energy sectors.
“This is a defining moment for every industry. The question is no longer whether to embrace digital tools but how fast and effectively we can deploy them,” said Balsingh. “At Airtel, we are evolving beyond connectivity—we are becoming digital transformation partners.”
He highlighted Airtel’s innovative enterprise solutions, including:
Internet of Things (IoT) for smart metering, leak detection, asset tracking, and energy optimization,
Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) for secure customer engagement via SMS, WhatsApp, Voice, and USSD, and
Network as a Service (NaaS) for flexible, secure, and scalable connectivity.
Abhishek Biswal, Chief Business Officer, Digital Services at Airtel India, showcased the operational success of Airtel’s IoT Hub, emphasizing its application in efficient and transparent energy distribution.
“The future of finance and utilities is digital—and it must be secure, scalable, and seamless. Partnerships like these create smarter ecosystems for all,” Biswal stated.
Also speaking, Ogo Ofomata, Director of Airtel Business, called for sustained collaboration, noting that Airtel operates as an “enabler industry” that benefits most when stakeholders co-create solutions.
“We only understand the real issues when we engage like this. This workshop is about listening, understanding, and co-developing tailored interventions,” she said.
Luc Serviant, Group Enterprise Business Director at Airtel Africa, spotlighted ongoing investments in 5G and LEO satellite technologies, which he said are critical to expanding digital access across underserved regions.
“We are laying the digital foundation that will empower businesses to serve better, respond faster, and grow sustainably,” Serviant added.
The event concluded with calls for deeper engagement with regulatory bodies such as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in future editions of the workshop.
