UNICEF, Airtel Africa and the Government of Nigeria advance digital learning following Lagos and Abuja visits

LAGOS/ABUJA, Nigeria, 21 October 2026 - A joint Airtel Africa - UNICEF delegation, alongside government partners, visited schools and youth programmes to see how the partnership with the Government of Nigeria is expanding access to free digital learning, skills and livelihood opportunities. Garreth Spillane, Chief of Staff to the Chairman of Airtel Africa, led the Airtel Africa delegation.

Students, teachers and young people in Lagos demonstrated how free digital learning and skills platforms are expanding opportunities from the classroom to employment. At Government Senior College, Agege, and St George’s U.N.A. Primary School, the delegation saw students and teachers using digital learning including the use of AI, while young people at Yaba College of Technology showed how Passport to Earning and the Youth Agency Marketplace (a digital platform also known as YOMA) are building digital, employability and entrepreneurship skills and opening pathways to mentorship, internships and livelihoods.

The partnership has connected nearly 2,000 schools across Nigeria, reaching about 1 million students and more than 20,000 teachers, including more than 19,000 teachers trained in digital literacy.

By zero-rating the Nigeria Learning Passport, the Federal Ministry of Education’s Inspire and Ignite platforms, the Digital National Education Management Information System and YOMA, the partnership removes data-cost barriers to learning. The Nigeria Learning Passport alone has more than 2.5 million registered students and nearly one hundred thousand registered teachers.

In Abuja, the delegation met the Office of the Vice President and the Federal Ministry of Education to advance reliable connectivity, quality content, teacher training, inclusive design, stronger data systems, child online safety and sustainable financing for better learning outcomes. The partners reaffirmed their commitment to these priorities.

“Access to free Digital learning not only bridge the digital divide but also brings children and young people closer to the knowledge, skills and opportunities they need to shape their and country’s future,” said Rownak Khan, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Nigeria. “Our partnership with Airtel and the Government of Nigeria is supporting teachers and creating pathways from learning to earning. Girls, children with disabilities and those in underserved communities must be among the first to benefit.”

“Connectivity brings transformative opportunities when it helps students access quality digital learning and enables teachers to use digital tools effectively, as we've seen demonstrated so ably here in Nigeria,” said Garreth Spillane, Foundation committee member and Chief of Staff to the Chairman of Airtel Africa. “Working with UNICEF and governments, we will continue to connect schools, remove data-cost barriers through zero-rated learning platforms and support teachers across the continent.” 

“Transforming education in Nigeria requires strong partnerships aligned with government priorities and learners’ needs,” said Prof. Suwaiba Sa’idu Ahmad Honorable Minister of States for Education. “We must strengthen teachers’ capacity, expand access to quality digital content, protect children online and ensure digital learning reaches every child, wherever they live.”

Across 13 African countries, the five-year Airtel Africa–UNICEF partnership has connected more than 3,000 schools, zero-rated more than 60 learning platforms and reached more than 2.5 million children.