Airtel Africa Foundation Scales Impact Across 14 Markets, Commits $6.2m in FY26
Looking ahead, the Foundation has set more ambitious targets for the 2026–2027 cycle, including expanding its School Adoption Programme to over 80 schools, increasing Tech Fellowship scholarships beyond 600, and scaling its connected school network to more than 5,000 institutions.
The Airtel Africa Foundation has reported a major expansion in its social impact programmes, according to its Annual Report for the 2025/2026 financial year (FY26), marking its transition from early-stage setup into full-scale execution across 14 African markets.
During the period, the Foundation committed $6.2 million to its FEED strategy—focused on Financial Inclusion, Education, Environmental Sustainability, and Digital Inclusion. Working with partners such as UNICEF and local governments, the Foundation said it prioritised long-term structural impact over short-term interventions.
“Having moved decisively from establishment into execution, we strengthened our programmes across education, digital inclusion, financial empowerment and environmental protection.”
– Segun Ogunsanya, Chair of the Foundation, Airtel Africa Foundation
Education remained the largest area of investment, driven by a flagship digital learning partnership with UNICEF. In FY26 alone, the programme connected 1,028 additional schools to the internet, bringing the total to nearly 3,296 schools across 13 countries. The initiative now supports more than 2 million learners and over 38,000 teachers. It also expanded access to digital learning by zero-rating 12 additional platforms, taking the total to 64, enabling over 11 million users to access educational content without data charges. Several countries, including Zambia, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, and Uganda, also adopted new digital education roadmaps and policy frameworks supported by the initiative.
Beyond connectivity, the Foundation continued physical and structural education investments through its School Adoption Programme, completing upgrades in seven schools while construction continues in 43 others. In higher education, the Airtel Africa Tech Fellowship awarded 257 full scholarships across Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, covering tuition, accommodation, stipends, laptops, data access, and mentorship for beneficiaries.
The Foundation also expanded its digital and financial inclusion efforts, training more than 30,000 people in advanced digital skills, including cybersecurity, data analytics, and software engineering. Of these, 8,497 participants were women. In addition, about 2,450 individuals received financial literacy and entrepreneurship training, while 510 early-stage entrepreneurs received startup grants to support business growth. The initiatives were supported through regional programmes including Nigeria’s “NextGen by Airtel” and the government-backed “3MTT” initiative.
Looking ahead, the Foundation has set more ambitious targets for the 2026–2027 cycle, including expanding its School Adoption Programme to over 80 schools, increasing Tech Fellowship scholarships beyond 600, and scaling its connected school network to more than 5,000 institutions. These goals form part of a broader 2030 strategy aimed at reaching 10 million children with improved education access, equipping 1 million young people with digital skills, and supporting financial resilience for 100,000 individuals across the continent.
The Foundation operates under Airtel Africa plc, which continues to position its philanthropic arm as a key driver of digital transformation and inclusive development across its markets.
