Airtel foundation unveils fellowship programme to empower African students at IIT Madras Zanzibar
Starting with an outlay of US$500,000, the programme will benefit 10 undergraduate students, for their entire course duration of four years.
The Airtel Africa Foundation has announced the launch of the ‘Airtel Africa Fellowship Programme’ for the undergraduate students at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), Zanzibar.
The IIT Madras in Zanzibar is the first-ever foreign campus established by an IIT.
Emeka Oparah, vice-president communications and CSR at the Airtel Africa, said in a statement that the fellowship, which opened on Tuesday, aims to support deserving students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds enrolled in the bachelor of science in data science and artificial intelligence (AI) at the IITM in Zanzibar.
Starting with an outlay of US$500,000, the programme will benefit 10 undergraduate students, for their entire course duration of four years,” the statement reads.
Oparah said the Airtel Africa Foundation, which was founded in 2024 with a vision to foster a prosperous Africa, is committed to advancing digital and financial inclusion across the continent along with key focus on education and environmental protection.
“This Fellowship is the maiden initiative undertaken to enhance educational opportunities for meritorious students, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds, enrolled at IIT M Zanzibar,” he said.
“It is designed to support students from 14 African countries namely Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda, DRC, Niger, Chad, Congo B, Gabon, Madagascar and Seychelles.
“Recipients of this scholarship will be known as ‘Airtel Africa Fellows’.
They will receive 100 percent of their college fees i.e. US$12,000 as per the course fee structure of the Institute for a 4-year program.
“Additionally, to cover the living expense cost, US$500 will be given to all eligible students.
“This initiative will aspire to transform, shape lives and nurture future leaders who will contribute to technological innovation and economic growth of Africa.
Commenting on the fellowship scheme, Ms Lela Mohamed Mussa, Zanzibar’s minister of education and vocational training, said, “IITM Zanzibar is charting a wonderful path in technical education in the region.”
“Providing access to this high-quality education to students from Tanzania and the rest of the continent, who are topping the IITM Zanzibar screening and test processes, through financial assistance, is an important priority for us. We are thankful to this support from Airtel Africa Foundation, which will enhance our own efforts in this direction,” he added.
Olusegun Ogunsanya, chairman of the Airtel Africa Foundation, said, “We are pleased to partner with IIT Madras Zanzibar to provide opportunities for young Africans to access quality education.”
Ogunsanya said the initiative aims to contribute towards creating a prosperous and sustainable continent.
“We look forward to creating even more opportunities not just in education, but also in financial and digital inclusion, and environmental protection,” he said.
V. Kamakoti, the Director of IIT Madras, said the institute is committed to establishing a world class campus in Zanzibar.
“We are delighted that Airtel Africa Foundation is joining hands with us in this effort. We look forward to welcoming the second cohort of bright young students to the IITM Zanzibar campus this year,’ he said.
“We are immensely grateful to Airtel Africa Foundation for providing financial assistance for these future global leaders.”
