Airtel Africa says it has launched a pioneering Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered Spam Alert Service in Nigeria to combat the menace of spam messages and fraud.
Airtel Nigeria’s Managing Director, Dinesh Balsingh said this at the launch of the Spam Alert Service in Lagos on Thursday.
Balsingh said that Airtel Africa also planned to roll out the innovative solution across its 14- country footprint.
According to him, the service will be available at no extra cost to Airtel subscribers.
Balsingh said the solution leveraged AI technology to detect and alert customers of suspected spam SMS messages in real-time, thereby protecting them from potential fraud and cyber threats.
“As a customer-centric organisation, we are proud to pioneer Africa’s first AI-powered spam alert solution.
“This innovation will revolutionise the telecoms industry in Africa, and we are excited to launch it in Nigeria, our largest market.
“Enhancing customer experience is our foremost priority, and we are proud to launch Africa’s first AI-powered spam alert solution.
“This is a game changer for the telecoms industry in Africa and as we move forward, we will continue to address customer challenges through proactive tech-driven solutions,” he said.
Balsingh also said the solution utilised proprietary dual-layer protection system, analysing over 250 parameters, including sender usage patterns, SMS frequency, and geographical spread of targets.
He noted that this advanced technology enabled the system to filter all SMS in real-time, processing over 1.5 billion messages in just two milliseconds.
He added that the service included a centralised database of blacklisted URLs, which scanned every SMS in real-time to warn users against accidentally clicking on suspicious links.
“With the launch of this AI-powered Spam Alert Service, Airtel Africa has reaffirmed its commitment to delivering innovative solutions that enhance customer experience, safety, and digital inclusion across the continent.
“As Airtel continues to expand its footprint, it is expected that this pioneering solution will set a new standard for the telecoms industry in Africa.
”Also, as the digital landscape continues to evolve, Airtel Africa remains at the forefront, pushing boundaries and shaping the future of telecommunications in Africa,” Balsingh said.
In his remarks, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, commended Airtel for its continued investment in Nigeria’s technology ecosystem, particularly in initiatives that enhanced online security for millions of Nigerians.
He noted that as Nigeria expanded its digital infrastructure and prioritised digital literacy, solutions like Airtel AI Spam Alert Service would reinforce the importance of leveraging artificial intelligence for security and economic empowerment.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr Aminu Maida said the solution is of obvious benefit to the entire sector.
He noted that security remained one of the major challenges to subscribers and such innovative service from Airtel would help tackle such issues.
NAN
