• Airtel Africa Foundation launches $1 million tech fellowship
• Program supports 20 low-income STEM students in Uganda
• Initiative targets youth unemployment, skills mismatch challenges

The Airtel Africa Foundation has launched the Airtel Africa Tech Fellowship in Uganda after a selection process that ran from December 2025 to January 2026. The program is supported by 3.85 billion Ugandan shillings ($1 million) in funding.

It targets about 20 high-performing students from low-income backgrounds who plan to pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Local media reported on Monday, Feb. 23, that the foundation covers tuition, housing, computer equipment and internet access in full, and provides mentorship throughout the students’ university studies.

Led by the philanthropic arm of the telecom operator, the program received more than 300 applications shortly after applications opened. After screening, selected students were steered toward priority fields including computer science, cybersecurity, software engineering and data science. They will study at leading institutions such as Makerere University and Mbarara University of Science and Technology.

The initiative comes as rapid population growth continues to strain the job market. A report published in August 2025 by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics for International Youth Day showed that 50.9% of people aged 18 to 30 were not in employment, education or training. Of those, 54.8% lived in rural areas, underscoring the scale of the challenge outside major urban centers. The unemployment rate for those aged 15 to 24 stood at 16.7%, highlighting the difficulties many young people face in entering the workforce.

Several national analyses also point to a persistent skills mismatch between graduates and employers, a gap that is slowing the growth of the technology sector. The National Planning Authority has called for an increase in the number of skilled jobs and for training programs to be better aligned with the needs of a changing economy.

Meanwhile, the telecommunications sector is undergoing structural change. In its 2021 report, “Connectivity in the Least Developed Countries,” the International Telecommunication Union said the expansion of digital services, data and emerging technologies is reshaping operators’ business models, reducing reliance on traditional voice and SMS revenue.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou