The Airtel Africa Foundation, through its local subsidiary Airtel Nigeria, has officially launched the Airtel Green Schools initiative, reports ITREALMS.
The sustainability-driven framework is strategically designed to establish specialized environmental learning spaces within primary and secondary schools across the country.
Announced as part of corporate activities commemorating World Environment Day under the global theme "Climate Action," the program introduces branded Airtel Gardens to institutionalize environmental stewardship among Nigerian youth.
According to deployment schedules released by Airtel Nigeria, the telecom giant has onboarded its 10 adopted schools across nine states, spanning all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
Rather than relying purely on theoretical instruction, each beneficiary school has been equipped with a physical Airtel Garden structured into distinct, practical eco-zones:
Biodiversity & Afforestation: Dedicated agrarian sections for edible crops, fruit-bearing trees, and shade trees designed to teach pupils about food cultivation and localized climate change mitigation.
Organic Waste Management: Integrated composting stations that actively convert organic waste generated within the school premises into nutrient-rich compost.
Circular Economy Hubs: Dedicated plastic recycling segments built to repurpose common municipal solid waste, such as discarded plastic bottles and used vehicular tires.
Beneficiary Institutions Nationwide:
Lagos State: St. George’s Nursery and Primary School, Ipaja
Kaduna State: Yahaya Primary School, Zaria
Kwara State: Iyeru-Okin Primary School, Iyeru-Okin
Ogun State: St. John Primary School, Ijebu Igbo & Mayflower Secondary School, Ikenne
Imo State: Community Primary School, Amumara
Cross River State: Presbyterian Primary School, Ediba
Abia State: Migrant Farmers Community Primary School, Umuahia
Borno State: Gwange III Primary School, Maiduguri
Gombe State: Government Day Primary School, Gombe
The initiative is anchored on the telecom multinational’s core sustainability framework: Reuse, Educate, and Restore.
Highlighting the developmental strategy of the project, the Chairman of the Airtel Africa Foundation, Segun Ogunsanya, emphasized that the model is built for scalable behavioral change:
"Through the Restore, Reduce and Educate pillars, we are equipping young people with practical tools such as gardens, recycling awareness, and environmental learning resources. Our goal is to create a replicable Green School model that can be scaled and sustained over time, ensuring that environmental education becomes part of everyday learning."
To operationalize this, the launch featured an immersive "Read, Engage, Plant" experience. Volunteers from Airtel’s Employee Volunteer Programme (EVP) engaged students through interactive storytelling, utilizing the environmental text “Jojo and Jade, Heroes of Mother Earth,” followed by hands-on crop planting sessions, climate action pledges, and the official inauguration of the Airtel Garden Eco Clubs.
Speaking on the nationwide flag-off, the Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh, reiterated that meaningful climate mitigation requires translating digital and corporate awareness into direct grassroots impact.
"Through the Airtel Garden, we are creating living classrooms where pupils can learn practical lessons about environmental stewardship, sustainable agriculture, waste management, and the importance of protecting our planet," Balsingh stated, noting that early empowerment remains critical to shaping an environmentally responsible generation.
The rollout marks another milestone for the Airtel Africa Foundation. Established in 2024, the philanthropic arm continues to leverage corporate resources, direct implementation, and technology partnerships to address socio-economic, educational, and digital inclusion deficits within underserved communities across 14 African countries.
Kachi Nweke/Editor
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