The Group Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Africa, Sunil Taldar has described as remarkable the progress recorded by St Agnes Primary School, Maryland Lagos with the use of the Nigeria Learning Passport as part of the Reimagine Education Programme introduced by Airtel and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 2022.
Mr Taldar made this declaration while on a joint visit with the leadership of UNICEF and Airtel Nigeria. The delegation, which included the Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh; UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere; and other senior executives from Airtel and UNICEF, engaged with school administrators, teachers, and pupils to assess the progress recorded under the Reimagine Education Programme.
This visit marks another significant step in Airtel’s long-standing collaboration with UNICEF to drive inclusive and technology-driven education, ensuring that more Nigerian children have access to quality learning resources. Through the collaboration, Airtel has reported that over 1,200 schools have been equipped with tablets and data to connect teachers and learners to digital learning platforms.
Speaking with the media after a demonstration of NLP and digital learning devices, Mr Taldar said, “What I saw today at St Agnes Primary School was impressive and we are encouraged by the impact made for students and teachers through our partnership with UNICEF,” adding that “our partnership with UNICEF is one of the ways we are ensuring that more children in Nigeria and beyond have access to digital learning tools that will equip them for their future. This visit reaffirms our dedication to making education more inclusive, accessible, and impactful.”
Also commenting on the company`s commitment to digital education and bridging the digital divide for Nigerian children, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh, highlighted the importance of technology-driven learning, the impact of Airtel’s partnership with UNICEF, and the role of the Nigeria Learning Passport in providing students and teachers with essential digital learning tools.
“At Airtel Nigeria, we are deeply committed to empowering young minds through technology-driven education. Our visit to St. Agnes Primary School underscores our dedication to bridging the digital divide and ensuring that more Nigerian children have access to quality learning resources. Through our partnership with UNICEF, we continue to invest in initiatives like the Nigeria Learning Passport, which provides students and teachers with the tools they need to succeed in a rapidly evolving digital world.”
On her part, UNICEF Chief of Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts to reimagine education.
“Education is a fundamental right, and digital learning has become a key enabler in bridging educational gaps. Our partnership with Airtel Africa and Airtel Nigeria continues to provide innovative learning solutions, ensuring that every child, regardless of location or socio-economic status, has the opportunity to learn and thrive. We are excited about the ongoing implementation of the Nigeria Learning Passport and the transformation it brings to education in Nigeria,” she said.
Recall that in 2023, Airtel and UNICEF paid a similar visit to Oremeji Primary School Ajegunle Lagos, one of Airtel Nigeria’s seven adopted schools. This visit to St. Agnes Primary School reflects a broader engagement with schools benefiting from the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) – a digital education platform developed by UNICEF in partnership with the Nigerian government and Microsoft. The NLP is designed to provide accessible, high-quality educational content to students, teachers, and parents, supporting learning both in and outside the classroom.
Airtel’s collaboration with UNICEF aligns with its broader corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda to support education, digital inclusion, and sustainable development. The Nigeria Learning Passport continues to gain traction as a powerful tool in ensuring that children, including those in remote and underserved areas, have access to interactive, high-quality educational content.
At Airtel Africa, we believe that education is the cornerstone of progress, and we remain committed to leveraging technology to drive sustainable learning solutions across the continent.
L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh; Chief, Lagos Field Office, UNICEF, Celine Lafoucriere; Group Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Africa, Sunil Taldar; Commissioner, Basic and Secondary Education, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun; and Chief Human Resources Officer, Airtel Africa, Rogany Ramiah; during a visit to St. Agnes Primary School Mende, Lagos to assess the progress of the Airtel/UNICEF Reimagine Education initiative on Tuesday, February 11th, 2025.
