By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
Helios
Towers and UNICEF have announced a multi-year partnership to expand internet
connectivity and access to digital learning for children and young people across Africa through UNICEF's Giga and Learning Passport initiatives.
The
partnership, announced in London on September 28, 2026, will combine Helios
Towers’ telecommunications infrastructure expertise with UNICEF’s work in
digital inclusion to support school connectivity and access to quality
education in underserved communities.
The
collaboration will support school connectivity mapping and infrastructure
development through Giga, the joint UNICEF and International Telecommunication
Union initiative that aims to support governments in connecting every school to
the internet by 2030.
Helios
Towers will also support expanded access to Learning Passport, a UNICEF
programme that provides high-quality, flexible and portable digital learning
for children and young people both online and offline.
The
partnership will initially focus on the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi
and Tanzania, with additional support planned for another country in West
Africa.
Helios
Towers’ established in-market presence and engineering capability in the
targeted markets will support efforts to extend connectivity to communities
where access remains limited.
Tom
Greenwood, Chief Executive Officer of Helios Towers, said reliable connectivity
was increasingly important to education, social inclusion and long-term
economic growth.
“Connectivity
is a core enabler of education, social inclusion and long-term economic growth.
As a mobile tower company operating across Africa and the Middle East, we see
first-hand how access to reliable connectivity can transform communities. Our
partnership with UNICEF reflects our commitment to expanding digital inclusion
and helping connect the next generation to learning, skills and opportunity,”
Greenwood said.
Philip
Goodwin, Chief Executive Officer of UNICEF UK, said digital connectivity was
becoming increasingly important for learning and opportunity.
“Digital
connectivity is increasingly essential for learning, opportunity and helping
children reach their full potential. Through partnerships like this, UNICEF is
working with governments, communities and the private sector to remove barriers
to education and build systems that enable children to learn, grow and thrive.
We are grateful to Helios Towers for its commitment to expanding connectivity
where the need is greatest, helping bring quality learning opportunities to
children and young people in underserved communities and supporting our shared
ambition to make childhood unstoppable,” Goodwin said.
Africa
is home to the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population, with an
estimated eight out of ten people expected to be born on the continent this
century, according to the partnership announcement.
The
companies said expanding reliable internet connectivity for schools would help
children and young people access education, develop digital skills and
participate in future economies.
Helios
Towers said its investment strategy focuses on underserved and high-growth
markets, while its technical expertise, local operational knowledge and
long-term market presence would contribute to scalable models for digital
transformation across Africa.
