Airtel Africa Foundation has announced a $6.2 million investment in education, digital inclusion, financial inclusion and environmental sustainability initiatives across Africa, impacting millions of learners and communities in its first full year of operations.
The disclosure was contained in the Foundation’s inaugural annual report, which outlined progress made under its Financial Inclusion, Education, Environmental Sustainability and Digital Inclusion (FEED) pillars.
Education received the largest share of the investment, reflecting the Foundation’s focus on expanding access to quality learning and digital resources across the continent.
One of its major achievements during the reporting period was the connection of 1,028 schools to the internet through a partnership with UNICEF, raising the total number of connected schools to 3,296 across 13 African countries.
The initiative has provided digital access to more than two million learners and nearly 39,000 teachers. It has also enabled 64 zero-rated digital platforms, allowing over 11 million learners to access educational content free of charge.
The report also highlighted improvements in learning environments through the School Adoption Programme, under which seven public schools were fully renovated, while 43 others are currently being upgraded. The programme combines infrastructure development with digital connectivity and student support interventions.
To strengthen Africa’s technology talent pipeline, the Airtel Africa Tech Fellowship awarded 257 full university scholarships across Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The scholarships focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), aimed at building the next generation of African tech leaders.
In addition, 30,530 young people and women benefited from digital skills training programmes delivered in partnership with governments, multilateral organisations and private-sector partners.
Chairman of Airtel Africa Foundation, Segun Ogunsanya, said the initiative was created to address inequality in access to opportunity across the continent, noting that while talent is widespread, access to education, digital tools and economic participation remains uneven.
He explained that the Foundation is focused on delivering measurable impact and driving long-term systemic change through its interventions.
The Foundation also announced plans to scale up its programmes, including expanding its School Adoption Programme to over 80 schools, increasing scholarship awards to more than 600 young people, extending free internet connectivity to an additional 2,000 schools and deepening digital skills and financial inclusion programmes in underserved communities.
It added that future efforts will continue to rely on partnerships with governments and development organizations to support inclusive economic growth across Africa.