Quick answer: To share data from an existing Airtel Nigeria balance, dial *321# and choose the Data Gifting & Sharing/Me2U option. If you want to buy a new bundle for another Airtel line, dial *312#, choose a data plan and select Buy for Others.

Airtel has two similar services that are easy to confuse:

  • Data sharing / Me2U moves some data from an allowance you already have.
  • Data gifting buys a new bundle for someone else using your own payment/airtime.

Choose the method based on which of those you actually want to do.

Transfer data from your Airtel balance with Me2U

Dial:

*321#

Then choose the option for Data Gifting & Sharing and follow the prompts for Me2U/Data Share.

Airtel describes Me2U as transferring part of an existing data allowance to another Airtel customer.

The menu may ask for a sharing PIN. Follow the current instructions shown on your line rather than using a PIN copied from an old tutorial.

Buy data for another Airtel number

If you want to purchase a fresh bundle for another Airtel customer rather than reduce your own existing data balance:

  1. Dial *312#.
  2. Choose the data bundle you want to buy.
  3. Select Buy for Others.
  4. Enter the recipient’s Airtel number.
  5. Confirm the transaction after checking the number and plan.

Airtel’s current Data Gifting page lists this as the straightforward way to buy a bundle for another user.

What is the difference between Airtel Me2U and Data Gifting?

The difference is where the recipient’s data comes from.

Me2U / Data Share

You already have a data bundle and transfer part of that allowance to another Airtel number.

Data Gifting

You pay for a new bundle for the recipient. Their new bundle does not come out of the MB or GB remaining in your existing bundle.

If you search “how to share Airtel data,” many articles mix these two actions together. That can make a correct code look wrong because it opens a different sharing method from the one you intended.

Can prepaid and postpaid customers share Airtel data?

Airtel’s SmartSHARE information says Data Sharing is available to both prepaid and postpaid customers.

However, individual plans or account conditions can still affect what the menu offers. If your line does not show a sharing option, check the current Airtel help page or contact Airtel rather than repeatedly trying an old shortcut.

Does the recipient pay for shared or gifted Airtel data?

Airtel says the recipient does not pay for the data they receive through sharing or gifting; the sender has already supplied or paid for it.

The recipient should still check the validity of the received allowance rather than assuming it lasts as long as every other bundle on their line.

How to check Airtel data after sharing

Dial:

*323#

to check the current data balance and expiry information on an Airtel Nigeria line.

The sender can use this to confirm the change in their balance, while the recipient can check what is now available on their own line.

If Airtel data sharing is not working

Try these checks in order:

  1. Confirm both numbers are Airtel Nigeria numbers.
  2. Check that the sender has an active data allowance.
  3. Dial *321# again and use the menu instead of relying on an old nested code.
  4. Confirm the sharing PIN if the Me2U menu requests it.
  5. Recheck the recipient number before confirming.
  6. If your goal is to buy a fresh bundle rather than transfer your existing data, use *312# and Buy for Others instead.
  7. Check Airtel’s current help pages if the menu has changed.

Be careful with old Airtel sharing guides

Some older Airtel pages and third-party tutorials use overlapping wording for “gifting” and “sharing.” Airtel’s current site now presents Buy for Others through the data-plan flow on *312#, while its FAQ points to *321# for transferring data/sharing.

That is why this guide separates the two tasks instead of presenting one code as the answer to everything.

Official sources

Verified on 8 August 2026 against Airtel Nigeria’s current FAQ:

https://www.airtel.com.ng/ng/personal/faq

Airtel Data Gifting:

https://www.airtel.com.ng/ng/personal/data/data_services/data_share_and_gifting

and Airtel Data Plans:

https://www.airtel.com.ng/ng/personal/data/data_offers/data_plans

Telecom menus and sharing rules can change. After this guide’s verification date, Airtel’s current official pages should be treated as the source of truth.

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