Airtel Africa Foundation Invests $6.2 Million in First Year, Connecting 3,296 Schools Across 13 Markets
The Airtel Africa Foundation has reported investing $6.2 million across education, financial inclusion, digital inclusion, and environmental sustainability programmes during its first full year of operations, according to its inaugural annual report.
Education accounted for the largest share of investment. Working with UNICEF, the Foundation connected 1,028 schools to the internet during the reporting period, bringing the total number of connected schools to 3,296 across 13 African markets. The effort has cumulatively supported more than 2 million learners and nearly 39,000 educators.
Beyond connectivity, the Foundation expanded access to free online content through 64 zero-rated educational platforms, which reached over 11 million learners, a figure that points to the outsized reach that zero-rating can deliver in markets where data costs remain a significant barrier.
Under its School Adoption Programme, seven public schools were fully refurbished during the year, with a further 43 schools entering various stages of renovation. The programme combines infrastructure development with digital access and student-centred support.
To build Africa’s future technology workforce, the Airtel Africa Tech Fellowship awarded 257 full scholarships to students pursuing STEM disciplines across Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda.
In parallel, digital skills programmes delivered through government, multilateral, and private-sector partnerships trained 30,530 young people and women, targeting improvements in employability and digital participation.
Segun Ogunsanya, Chair of the Airtel Africa Foundation, framed the Foundation’s mandate around structural inequality rather than philanthropy.
“The Airtel Africa Foundation was established to help dismantle barriers caused by unequal access to opportunity. While talent and ambition are abundant, access to education, digital tools, and economic participation remains uneven. Through partnerships and our continental reach, we are committed to investing in communities furthest from opportunity,” he said.
The Foundation has outlined an ambitious scale-up for the period ahead. Plans include extending the School Adoption Programme to more than 80 schools, increasing scholarship awards to over 600 young people, connecting an additional 2,000 schools to free internet services, and broadening digital skills and financial inclusion initiatives across underserved communities.
“As a Foundation, we are positioned to deliver skills development and lasting change at the individual and household level, while partnering with governments to unlock Africa’s economic transformation,” Ogunsanya added.
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