Malawi students are among young Africans who have secured full university STEM scholarships through the Airtel Africa Tech Fellowship.
The scholarships, 257 in total, were awarded to students in Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, are part of the Airtel Africa Foundation’s US$6.2 million investment in education, digital inclusion and skills development.
According to the Foundation’s inaugural annual report, education received the largest share of funding, reflecting its commitment to expanding access to quality learning.
The report says the Foundation connected 1,028 additional schools to the internet through its partnership with UNICEF, bringing the total to 3,296 schools across 13 African countries and benefiting more than 2 million learners and nearly 39,000 teachers.
It also provided free educational content to over 11 million learners through 64 zero-rated digital platforms and renovated seven public schools, with another 43 undergoing upgrades under its School Adoption Programme.
Beyond education infrastructure, the Foundation trained 30,530 youth and women in digital skills through partnerships with governments and other organisations.
Airtel Africa Foundation Chair Segun Ogunsanya said the initiative is aimed at removing barriers that limit access to education and digital opportunities.
“The Airtel Africa Foundation was established to help dismantle barriers caused by unequal access to opportunity. While talent and ambition are abundant, access to education, digital tools and economic participation remains uneven. Through partnerships and our continental reach, we are committed to investing in communities furthest from opportunity,” Ogunsanya said.
Ogunsanya said the Foundation is committed to delivering skills development and creating lasting change for individuals and households while partnering with governments to drive Africa’s economic transformation.
The Foundation plans to increase the number of scholarships to more than 600, connect 2,000 additional schools to free internet services and expand digital skills programmes across underserved communities in the coming year.
