Mission and strategic focus

Transforming the lives of people and communities

The Foundation’s vision is to contribute to a thriving and inclusive Africa, with a particular focus on underserved communities and those furthest from opportunity. Africa’s population is young and rapidly growing, presenting enormous potential but also significant challenges. Many of these young people lack the tools they need to progress, including digital skills, STEM education and financial literacy.

The Foundation’s programmes are designed to help close these gaps and create enabling environments in which individuals and communities can prosper.

How the Foundation operates

The Foundation adopts a pan-African strategy that is implemented locally through Airtel Africa’s OpCos and partners. This model enables the Foundation to scale proven interventions while tailoring delivery to local contexts, partner capabilities and national development priorities. Its programmes span education and livelihoods, reaching underserved and disadvantaged communities with practical solutions designed to expand impact and evolve over time. The Foundation is fully funded by Airtel Africa with a percentage of revenue from our 14 OpCos.

Governance and oversight

The Foundation operates independently and is governed by a Council which oversees its strategy and approves the annual budget in tandem with the guardian. Financial oversight is provided by the guardian who is the chief financial officer (CFO) of Airtel Africa. The Council members are Airtel Africa UK Limited and Bharti Airtel International (the Netherlands) (BAIN).

The Council has delegated most of the day-to-day activities to the Airtel Africa Charitable Foundation Committee, chaired by Olusegun Ogunsanya. The committee is responsible for programme delivery, funding allocation and ensuring clear accountability across all operations.

Where programmes are delivered in alliance with partners, the Foundation maintains clear roles and responsibilities for each partnership with ongoing oversight to monitor progress, share learnings and optimise impact. This approach prioritises transparency and a collective commitment to community outcomes.