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Airtel Nigeria Experienced a 30.4% Revenue Decrease, Falling to $1.04 Billion, Company Returns to Profitability Across African Markets
Mobile network provider Airtel Nigeria experienced a 30.4% revenue decrease, with its earnings dropping to $1.04 billion for the financial year ending March 31, 2025. This sharp fall in revenue was mainly caused by the significant devaluation of the Nigerian naira, which made the company’s earnings worth less when converted to US dollars. Despite this, Airtel Nigeria’s subscriber base actually grew, rising from 50.9 million customers last year to 53.3 million this year, showing that more people are using its services even as the company faces financial challenges.
The Airtel Nigeria revenue decrease was also seen in its main business areas. Voice revenue dropped by 36.9% to $448 million, and data revenue fell by 26.2% to $483 million. However, if you look at the numbers without considering the currency changes (constant currency), voice revenue actually grew by 24.3% and data revenue by 44.5%. This means more people are using Airtel’s services, but the value of the naira made the reported revenue look worse than it really is.
Data usage per customer increased by 33.4%, reaching 8.4 GB per month, thanks to ongoing upgrades to 4G and 5G networks. For smartphone users, average monthly data usage jumped to 11.1 GB, up from 9.0 GB the previous year. Smartphone penetration also improved, with nearly half (49.6%) of Airtel Nigeria’s customers now using smartphones.
Airtel Nigeria’s mobile money business, although still small, is growing. Revenue from this segment doubled from $2 million to $4 million, and the company now has 1.7 million active mobile money customers. This shows that Airtel Nigeria is finding new ways to make money, even as its traditional services face tough times.
Across Africa, Airtel’s story is different. While Airtel Nigeria experienced a 30.4% revenue drop, the company returned to profitability in its broader African operations. Airtel Africa reported a profit after tax of $328 million, a huge turnaround from a loss of $89 million the previous year. This comeback was helped by better performance in other regions, especially East Africa and French-speaking African countries, where revenue grew by 13.6% and 7.2% respectively.
In East Africa, Airtel’s customer base grew by 11.7% to 77.6 million, and investments in 4G and 5G networks led to more data usage and higher smartphone adoption. Mobile money services in East Africa also saw strong growth, with revenue rising by 17.5% and active users reaching 2.7 million.
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Airtel Africa’s total customer base now stands at 166.1 million, up 8.7% from last year. The company processed $145 billion in mobile money transactions, a 34% increase, and mobile money customers jumped by 17.3% to 44.6 million. The company’s CEO, Sunil Taldar, said Airtel will keep investing in its network and digital services, and is preparing to list its Airtel Money business on the stock market in early 2026.
While Airtel Nigeria experienced a 30.4% revenue decrease and tough times due to the naira’s fall, the company’s overall African business is bouncing back, showing resilience and growth in other markets and digital services.
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