Empowering communities,
touching lives
Airtel Africa has always been dedicated to transforming lives, including through a range of philanthropic programmes designed to support education, communities and the environment.
In June 2024, the Airtel Africa Foundation was established as the philanthropic arm of Airtel Africa plc, with the mission of empowering communities across the company’s 14 markets in sub-Saharan Africa through financial inclusion, education, environmental protection and digital inclusion (FEED).
Chaired by Olusegun Ogunsanya, former CEO of Airtel Africa plc, the Airtel Africa Foundation seeks to unlock opportunities for people across the continent and act as a catalyst for transformative change. It focuses particularly on addressing digital inequalities and promoting socio-economic development, especially among underserved and less privileged communities, aiming to build strategic partnerships and impactful programmes.
The Foundation’s approach
Given Airtel Africa’s role as a telecoms business, the Foundation believes in the transformative power of technology, especially the internet, for socio-economic empowerment. However, without the right policies, partnerships and human capital, Africa will not have the enabling environment to effectively harness the power of digital technology. Deteriorating ecosystems and the climate crisis could also hinder Africa’s technological development. Overcoming these barriers will, therefore, be the driving spirit behind the projects and partnerships that the Foundation pursues and supports.
The Foundation has four objectives:
Increase financial literacy and access to digital financial services
Expand access to education
Promote sustainable environmental services
Enhance access to use of digital technologies
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The Airtel Africa Foundation seeks to unlock opportunities for people across the continent and act as a catalyst for transformative change.
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Olusegun Ogunsanya
Chair, Airtel Africa Foundation
Transforming lives in action
Connecting schools to the internet in partnership with UNICEF
From 2025/26 onwards, the Airtel Africa Foundation will oversee and monitor the delivery of the five-year, $57m landmark partnership between Airtel Africa and UNICEF that began in 2022 with the goal of accelerating digital learning across Africa and transforming the lives of over one million schoolchildren. The partnership has so far connected 2,176 schools to the internet, providing thousands of learners with access to quality digital education resources and training more than 33,400 teachers on how to use them effectively. In addition, we zero rated 30 government-approved learning platforms which are free for users to access.
Celebrating the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP)
In February 2025, our CEO Sunil Taldar and other executive leaders joined chief of UNICEF’s Lagos field office, Celine Lafoucriere, and senior Lagos education officials for a field trip to St. Agnes Primary School, Maryland, Lagos. With support from our partnership with UNICEF, teachers and pupils at the school now have access to the Nigeria Learning Passport, an online e-learning platform that enables continuous access to quality education.
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Education is critical for Africa’s future, with more than 40 percent of the population is below 15 years. Our work with UNICEF ensures standardised digital learning through the Nigeria Learning Passport, providing connectivity and devices to students and teachers.
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Sunil Taldar
CEO, Airtel Africa
Transforming lives in action
Promoting technology leaders in Africa
In September 2024, the Airtel Africa Foundation launched the Airtel Africa fellowship programme, investing $500,000 to support ten undergraduate students over four years as a first step towards building advanced IT skills among the next generation of technology leaders in Africa. The first fellowship cohort consists of five women and five men, currently pursuing a BSc in data science and artificial intelligence at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The fellowship covers full tuition and provides an annual stipend of $500 for living expenses.
