Airtel Nigeria has announced its strategic move to significantly reduce its carbon footprint by transitioning to cleaner energy sources.
This move is expected to result in reduced emissions and environmental impact, helping the country meet its renewable energy and climate change targets.
The director, Corporate Communications and CSR, Airtel Nigeria, Femi Adeniran, who disclosed this at a media roundtable event, on Tuesday, in Lagos, said, this decision is part of the company’s broader commitment to environmental sustainability and cost efficiency in its operations.
Adeniran averred that Airtel has over 15,000 sites across Nigeria, each equipped with at least one diesel generator He affirmed that the telco will be optimizing to solar power sites as a sustainability drive to reduce its carbon footprint.
He said the monthly expenditure could have been higher but for the collocation, which allows telecom operators in the country to share infrastructure. “We are committed to minimising our environmental footprint. Our transition to grid and solar power will significantly reduce diesel consumption and mitigate climate change.
“Airtel, one of the leading telecommunications providers in Nigeria, will begin phasing out its reliance on diesel-powered generators, which have long been the backbone of energy supply at its cell sites, offices, and other installations across the country. In our place, the company plans to deploy renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, along with more energy-efficient technologies,” he stated.
Adeniran noted that Airtel Nigeria’s sustainability efforts were expected to contribute significantly to Nigeria’s climate change mitigation goals.
Director of Network Transformation and Planning, Airtel Nigeria, Harmanpreet Singh Dhillon, went on to say that the telecom would be investing in lithium-ion batteries instead of conventional batteries, which helps reduce carbon emissions. Dhillon stated that apart from decreasing their carbon footprint, the telco was also deploying outdoor-operable electronics/ communications equipment. “These gadgets do away with the need for indoor air conditioning because they can tolerate high humidity, temperatures, and dust.
“The traditional equipment used to be very sensitive to temperature, high temperatures, for which you require an indoor room and air conditioning, which again increases your energy consumption. Now we are buying equipment which can operate in any environment, hence the power consumption goes down and doesn’t require high kilowatt consumption.
“This move reduces energy consumption, allowing Airtel to lower power usage, reduce reliance on generators and increase solar and lithium-ion battery adoption,” Dhillon said.
Director of Information Technology, Airtel Nigeria, Kemi Ariyo, announced that the company will lead the way in implementing green technologies, beginning with its data centres. According to her, the data centre, which should be finished by 2027, will increase the telco’s sustainability and capacity.
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