Investors in Airtel Africa Plc will receive greater flexibility in managing foreign exchange exposure this year after the telecommunications giant unveiled the exchange rates and currency election arrangements for its final dividend payment for the financial year ended March 31, 2026.
The company announced that shareholders will receive a final dividend of 4.26 cents per ordinary share.
The dividend, approved by Airtel Africa’s board of directors, is scheduled for payment on July 24, 2026, to shareholders whose names appear on the company’s register at the close of business on June 19, 2026.
Under the arrangement, shareholders listed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) will be allowed to receive their dividend either in Nigerian naira or U.S. dollars, providing investors with an opportunity to align dividend receipts with their currency preferences and investment strategies.
Investors who do not submit a currency election before the stipulated deadline will automatically receive their dividend payments in naira.
To facilitate the process, Airtel Africa fixed July 6, 2026, as the deadline for shareholders to submit currency election requests through its registrar, Coronation Registrars Limited.
The company also confirmed June 17, 2026, as the qualification date for participation in the dividend distribution.
For Nigerian shareholders electing to receive payments in local currency, Airtel Africa set the applicable exchange rate at N1,375.25 per U.S. dollar, based on market rates available on May 29, 2026.
The exchange rate announcement provides greater certainty for investors ahead of the payment date, particularly as foreign exchange considerations increasingly influence dividend investment decisions within Nigeria’s capital market.
Market analysts note that the option to receive dividends in either naira or dollars has become an important feature for shareholders seeking to manage currency risk and preserve value amid exchange rate movements.
For investors on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), Airtel Africa will also offer flexibility in dividend settlement. Shareholders may elect to receive payments in either U.S. dollars or British pounds sterling.
Those who fail to make an election before the deadline will automatically receive dividend payments in U.S. dollars.
For shareholders choosing sterling payments, the company fixed the exchange rate at £0.742115 to one U.S. dollar.
The dual-currency structure reflects Airtel Africa’s multinational shareholder base and its efforts to accommodate investors across multiple jurisdictions while maintaining consistency in dividend distribution.
Operating in 14 African markets, Airtel Africa remains one of the continent’s largest telecommunications and mobile money providers, serving millions of customers through its voice, data and mobile financial services businesses.
The group has increasingly positioned mobile money and digital financial services as key growth drivers, alongside continued investment in broadband connectivity and network modernisation across its markets.
