By The Respondents Reporter
The Airtel Africa Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Airtel Africa plc, has released its inaugural annual report, highlighting a strong first year of operations marked by major investments in education, digital access, and community development across the continent.
The report shows that during its first full year of implementation, the Foundation committed US$6.2 million to programmes aligned with its four strategic pillars: Financial Inclusion, Education, Environmental Sustainability, and Digital Inclusion (FEED).
Education received the largest share of funding, reflecting the Foundation’s focus on expanding learning opportunities for underserved communities.
A major milestone was the expansion of school connectivity in partnership with UNICEF. During the reporting period, 1,028 additional schools were connected to the internet, bringing the total to 3,296 schools across 13 African countries.
The initiative has reached more than 2 million learners and nearly 39,000 teachers, significantly improving access to digital learning resources.
The Foundation also supported digital learning through 64 zero-rated platforms, enabling over 11 million learners to access free educational content without data costs.
In addition, its School Adoption Programme led to the full renovation of seven public schools, while 43 others are currently undergoing upgrades.
The programme combines infrastructure improvement with digital access and holistic student development.
In higher education, the Airtel Africa Tech Fellowship awarded 257 full university scholarships across Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda.
The initiative aims to strengthen STEM education and develop a new generation of African technology leaders.
Alongside this, 30,530 young people and women benefited from digital skills training delivered in collaboration with government institutions and private sector partners.
Speaking on the report, Segun Ogunsanya, Chair of the Airtel Africa Foundation, said the initiative was created to address unequal access to opportunity across Africa.
He emphasized that while talent is widespread, access to education, digital tools, and economic participation remains uneven, adding that partnerships are key to unlocking long-term impact.
Looking ahead, the Foundation plans to scale up its interventions, including expanding the School Adoption Programme to more than 80 schools, increasing scholarships to over 600 students, connecting an additional 2,000 schools to the internet, and extending digital and financial inclusion programmes to more underserved communities.
The Foundation also highlighted its commitment to measurable outcomes and long-term systems change, positioning itself as a catalyst for skills development and economic transformation at both household and national levels.
The full Airtel Africa Foundation 2025/26 Annual Report is available at Airtel Africa Foundation Annual Report.
