IHS Nigeria last week published its 2023–2024 Impact Report, presenting a wide-ranging account of corporate interventions in education, climate action, healthcare, and governance.
The report, which spans January 2023 to December 2024, is framed as alignment with both President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
On paper, the highlights are impressive: more than 100,000 Nigerians trained under the 3 Million Technical Talent programme; innovation hubs in Ilorin, Ogbomosho and Lagos; 956 schools supported with connectivity, of which 421 were brought online through the UNICEF partnership; nine medical oxygen plants across Bauchi, Ogun, Cross River, Kano, Yobe, Oyo, Kaduna, Ebonyi and Rivers; solar boreholes in Borno; and tree planting and solar streetlight projects across eight states. In addition, climate education initiatives, hydrocele surgeries, vaccinations, and support for neglected tropical diseases all feature prominently.
These are, by any measure, commendable steps. Few will argue against more connected schools, more oxygen plants, or cleaner water projects.
On paper, the highlights are impressive: more than 100,000 Nigerians trained under the 3 Million Technical Talent programme; innovation hubs in Ilorin, Ogbomosho and Lagos; 956 schools supported with connectivity, of which 421 were brought online through the UNICEF partnership; nine medical oxygen plants across Bauchi, Ogun, Cross River, Kano, Yobe, Oyo, Kaduna, Ebonyi and Rivers; solar boreholes in Borno; and tree planting and solar streetlight projects across eight states. In addition, climate education initiatives, hydrocele surgeries, vaccinations, and support for neglected tropical diseases all feature prominently.
These are, by any measure, commendable steps. Few will argue against more connected schools, more oxygen plants, or cleaner water projects.
CEO Mohamad Darwish captured the corporate narrative succinctly when he said the company’s work represents “a picture of progress” for Nigerian communities.
Yet a closer reading invites questions, not about the validity of the interventions, but about their spread and inclusivity. While the report claims interventions across all six geopolitical zones, the South-East appears conspicuously absent in any significant way.
Yet a closer reading invites questions, not about the validity of the interventions, but about their spread and inclusivity. While the report claims interventions across all six geopolitical zones, the South-East appears conspicuously absent in any significant way.
Ebonyi is named for an oxygen plant, but beyond that, there is little trace of meaningful infrastructure, skills, or connectivity investment in Anambra, Enugu, Imo, or Abia.
This omission is difficult to overlook. The South-East has some of the sharpest digital divides in the federation and a pressing need for both rural connectivity and healthcare infrastructure.
This omission is difficult to overlook. The South-East has some of the sharpest digital divides in the federation and a pressing need for both rural connectivity and healthcare infrastructure.
If corporate social responsibility is to be measured by reach as well as scale, then neglecting an entire region risk reinforcing perceptions of imbalance in development priorities.
Moreover, the report leans heavily on projections and self-reporting. For instance, the 90,000 patients said to benefit from oxygen plants comes from UNICEF estimates rather than independent audits.
Moreover, the report leans heavily on projections and self-reporting. For instance, the 90,000 patients said to benefit from oxygen plants comes from UNICEF estimates rather than independent audits.
Similarly, while 6,747 tower sites have been fitted with hybrid power solutions, over half of IHS’s 16,000 sites remain dependent on diesel, a tension that undermines the climate narrative.
The editorial position here is not to dismiss IHS Nigeria’s efforts. Far from it, the company deserves credit for bringing sustainability into the conversation and committing resources to social impact.
The editorial position here is not to dismiss IHS Nigeria’s efforts. Far from it, the company deserves credit for bringing sustainability into the conversation and committing resources to social impact.
However, a credible impact strategy must go beyond glossy reporting. It must deliver balanced inclusion, reach the most underserved, and subject itself to independent verification.
In the end, Nigerians deserve more than corporate promises. They deserve equitable access to the very resources being celebrated in glossy reports. For IHS Nigeria, true leadership will not be measured by selective footprints or carefully curated statistics, but by whether a child in Abakaliki, a farmer in Imo, or a teacher in Enugu can testify to real, lived change. Until then, the Impact Report reads less like a national story of transformation and more like progress with gaps.
In the end, Nigerians deserve more than corporate promises. They deserve equitable access to the very resources being celebrated in glossy reports. For IHS Nigeria, true leadership will not be measured by selective footprints or carefully curated statistics, but by whether a child in Abakaliki, a farmer in Imo, or a teacher in Enugu can testify to real, lived change. Until then, the Impact Report reads less like a national story of transformation and more like progress with gaps.
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