Airtel Nigeria has recorded an 84% decline in spam text messages following the rollout of Airtel Africa’s Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered spam detection tool, Spam Alert.
The free service, introduced earlier this year, has flagged more than 205 million fraudulent and unsolicited SMS across 13 African markets in the past six months.
In a statement signed by the Vice President, Corporate Communications and CSR, Airtel Africa confirmed that Kenya accounted for the highest spam volume with 68 million flagged messages, followed by Tanzania with 47 million and Zambia with 33 million. But Nigeria stood out for its steepest decline, underscoring the impact of the system in curbing unwanted and often fraudulent text messaging.
Register for Tekedia Mini-MBA edition 19 (Feb 9 – May 2, 2026): big discounts for early bird.
Tekedia AI in Business Masterclass opens registrations.
Join Tekedia Capital Syndicate and co-invest in great global startups.
Register for Tekedia AI Lab: From Technical Design to Deployment (next edition begins Jan 24 2026).
How the system works
The Spam Alert tool prefixes suspicious SMS with “SPAM Alert,” giving subscribers real-time protection without the need for any extra apps. Airtel said it is tackling phishing scams and nuisance texts that have long plagued mobile money users and smartphone owners by intercepting messages before they reach end users.
“We are proud to pioneer an advanced tech solution powered by AI in tackling spam messages that are a major concern in Africa as smartphone penetration increases,” Airtel Africa CEO Sunil Taldar said.
Currently active in 13 of Airtel’s 14 markets, including Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Gabon, Congo Brazzaville, Malawi, Madagascar, DRC, Rwanda, Tanzania, Chad, and Niger, the company said Spam Alert has already reduced spam SMS across Africa by 12%. Seychelles is expected to be added soon.
Nigeria’s experience
In July, Airtel Nigeria disclosed that the system had intercepted 9.6 million suspicious messages between March 13 and May 20, 2025. Of that figure, 528,080 originated from Airtel users, while over 9.1 million came from off-network sources.
The system runs on advanced AI models that scan every incoming SMS against more than 250 parameters such as sender identity, link structure, message volume, and regional anomalies. Messages flagged as malicious are tagged “Suspected SPAM” and filtered before delivery.
Importantly, Airtel emphasized that the solution preserves user privacy by avoiding the storage or analysis of message content, with each SMS processed in under two milliseconds.
Regulatory support
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) welcomed the initiative, describing it as a critical addition to the country’s digital security arsenal.
“Spam messages and fraud are becoming more sophisticated, and this AI-powered solution provides a much-needed layer of security,” said the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida.
The NCC has, in recent months, been pushing for stronger collaborative frameworks between operators and regulators to strengthen consumer protection. Its 2023 Industry Risk Report had flagged phishing via SMS and unsolicited bulk messaging among the top five risks facing mobile users, particularly rural subscribers and first-time smartphone owners.
A growing digital threat
Experts have warned that spam and phishing attempts in Africa often target mobile money transactions, which have surged in recent years. With smartphone penetration climbing and digital payments expanding, operators face pressure to protect users from schemes that can erode trust in mobile platforms.
Airtel has put itself at the center of a continent-wide effort to shore up defenses by leveraging AI. The success in Nigeria, where spam volumes dropped by more than four-fifths, may set a precedent for other operators and regulators to adopt similar tools in combating digital fraud.