Broadband Expansion: Telco Appoints Bakare To Drive Growth

Airtel Africa has appointed Nigerian telecommunications executive, Goriola Bakare, to a group-level role overseeing home broadband experience, as the company seeks to expand its broadband business across its African markets.

Bakare’s appointment as Home Broadband Experience Lead took effect on October 1, 2026, following his leadership of Airtel Nigeria’s home broadband business and a subsequent strategic assignment with Bharti Airtel in India.

In the new position, he is expected to work with Airtel Africa’s operating companies on customer acquisition, retention, product development and service delivery, areas that have become increasingly important as telecommunications firms compete for household and business internet customers.

The appointment comes against the backdrop of growing demand for broadband connectivity across Africa, where expanding digital services and data consumption have increased the need for reliable and affordable internet access.

Airtel Africa’s 2026 annual report showed that its home broadband customer base rose by 86 per cent to 903,000 in the financial year ended March 2026. Revenue from the segment also increased by 119 per cent in constant currency, while average monthly data consumption reached 195 gigabytes per customer.

The figures indicate growing demand for home connectivity, although translating that demand into wider adoption will depend on pricing, network availability, service quality and consumers’ ability to afford broadband equipment and subscriptions.

For telecommunications companies, home broadband offers an opportunity to diversify revenue beyond traditional voice services and mobile data. However, expansion requires sustained investment in fibre networks, wireless infrastructure, capacity and customer support, particularly in markets where connectivity remains uneven.

Bakare previously served as Acting Director of Home Broadband Business at Airtel Nigeria from October 2024 to March 2026, overseeing commercial performance, product strategy, customer acquisition and retention. He subsequently undertook a six-month strategic assignment with Bharti Airtel in India between April and September 2026.

He joined Airtel in 2009 and has held positions covering finance, business planning, product development, commercial strategy, partnerships and digital innovation. His previous responsibilities included leading product functions and overseeing home broadband products, pricing and solutions in Nigeria.

Bakare holds a degree in Banking and Finance and an MBA in Strategic Management from Babcock University, Nigeria.

His appointment places a Nigerian executive in a regional role at a time when broadband growth is becoming an increasingly important part of telecoms operators’ commercial strategies. The broader test for Airtel Africa will be whether its expansion translates into improved service quality, greater household adoption and more accessible internet services across the markets it serves.