Airtel Africa, through the Airtel Africa Foundation, has launched the ‘Airtel Africa Fellowship Program’ to support outstanding students in 14 African nations.
The Fellowship is intended to assist students from Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda, DRC, Niger, Chad, Congo B, Gabon, Madagascar, and Seychelles pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) in Zanzibar. Starting with a $500,000 investment, this program will assist ten undergraduate students over the course of four years.
The recipients of this fellowship will be known as ‘Airtel Africa Fellows’. They will receive 100% of their college expenses, which is $12,000 based on the course fee structure of the Institute for a 4-year program.
Additionally, to cover the living expense cost, $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, Zanzibar’s minister of Education and Vocational Training, H.E. Ms Lela Mohamed Mussa 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.”
The chairman of the Airtel Africa Foundation, Dr. Olusegun Ogunsanya said, “We are pleased to partner with IIT Madras Zanzibar to provide opportunities for young Africans to access quality education. This 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”.
The director of IIT Madras, Prof. V. Kamakoti added, “IIT Madras 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. We are immensely grateful to Airtel Africa Foundation for providing financial assistance for these future global leaders.”