Nigeria has recorded an 84% decline in spam SMS after Airtel Africa deployed its Artificial Intelligence-powered spam detection tool, Spam Alert.
According to Airtel, the free service has flagged over 205 million fraudulent and unsolicited messages across 13 African markets within six months. Nigeria registered the sharpest decline, while Kenya recorded the highest flagged spam volume with 68 million messages, followed by Tanzania with 47 million and Zambia with 33 million.
Spam Alert prefixes suspicious SMS with “SPAM Alert,” providing users with real-time protection against phishing scams and nuisance texts without requiring extra applications. Airtel Africa CEO, Sunil Taldar, said the solution demonstrates the company’s commitment to tackling digital fraud as smartphone penetration expands across Africa.
Currently active in 13 of Airtel’s 14 markets, including Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, and Tanzania, the service has cut overall spam SMS by 12% across the continent. Seychelles will join soon, Airtel confirmed.
In Nigeria, Airtel reported that between March 13 and May 20, 2025, the system intercepted more than 9.6 million suspicious messages, of which over 9.1 million originated from off-network sources. The AI-powered system scans all SMS in real-time using 250 parameters, including sender identity, link structure, and regional anomalies, processing each message in under two milliseconds without storing content.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) welcomed the innovation. Executive Vice Chairman Dr. Aminu Maida said the initiative strengthens consumer protection at a time when spam and fraud are growing more sophisticated. He stressed the need for more collaboration between operators and regulators to reduce digital risks.
The NCC’s 2023 Industry Risk Report had ranked phishing and bulk unsolicited messaging among the top threats facing subscribers, especially in rural areas and among first-time smartphone users. Airtel’s initiative is expected to ease these concerns by reinforcing trust in mobile communications.
