In a bold move to bridge the digital divide, UNICEF has announced a continent-wide initiative to provide high-speed internet to up to 500,000 schools and essential facilities across 54 African countries.
By pivoting from fragmented, country-by-country contracts to a massive “group purchasing” model, the UN agency aims to create a predictable market that attracts large-scale investment from global and local internet service providers.
The initiative specifically targets children in rural and low-income communities who are currently locked out of the digital revolution. With 2.6 billion people worldwide still offline, UNICEF warns that without structural reform, the lack of connectivity will permanently trap millions of children in a cycle of educational and economic inequality.
UNICEF is leveraging its extensive experience in large-scale logistics—such as its $5.2 billion annual vaccine procurement program—to reshape the telecommunications market. The strategy involves aggregating the demand of dozens of governments to offer providers better visibility and a more stable customer base. The rollout follows a structured timeline beginning with a Request for Expressions of Interest (REoI), open until March 27, 2026, for providers to showcase their ability to deliver terrestrial, wireless, or satellite connectivity. This will be followed by a formal competitive tender in the second quarter of 2026.
Kaan Çentintürk, UNICEF’s Chief Information Officer, emphasized that connectivity is no longer an “optional” luxury but a fundamental right. To meet UNICEF’s standards, participating providers must offer “turnkey” solutions that include managed services with reliable uptime, energy continuity for areas with unstable power grids, and built-in cybersecurity with child-friendly protection measures.
UNICEF will act as the primary procurement agent for participating African governments, working in close coordination with the World Bank, Smart Africa, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). These partnerships are designed to align funding with implementation, ensuring that the infrastructure is not only built but remains sustainable for years to come. By treating the continent as a unified market, UNICEF hopes to transform how essential services are delivered to the next generation, ensuring that artificial intelligence and digital tools become accessible to every child, regardless of their geography.
ARD/te/Sf/fss/abj/APA