Running from May 27 to May 31, part of earnings from rides completed during the campaign period will be donated to SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria to support programmes focused on child care, family strengthening and community support.

The campaign aims to make giving simple and accessible, allowing riders to contribute to the initiative through their everyday trips around the city.

SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria works to ensure children without parental care, or at risk of losing it, grow up with the support, protection and opportunities they need.

Commenting on the campaign, Teddy Appah-Dankyi, Bolt’s senior general manager, West Africa said: “Children’s Day is an important moment to reflect on the kind of support systems children and families need to thrive.

“Through the Rides That Care campaign, we wanted to create a simple way for everyday movement to contribute to something meaningful. We believe even small everyday actions, when multiplied across a community, can make a real difference in supporting vulnerable children and families.”

The campaign also reiterates Bolt’s commitment to supporting communities beyond mobility by leveraging its platform to create positive social impact.

Throughout the campaign period, riders will not be required to take any additional steps or make separate donations, as contributions will be made automatically through eligible rides completed on the platform.

In turning everyday trips into acts of support, the Bolt Children’s Day campaign aims to encourage collective participation in helping vulnerable children and families across Nigeria.

But IHS Nigeria’s latest Impact Report 2023–2024, launched in Lagos on Thursday, September 25, 2025, cut through the cynicism, revealing actual impact, not corporate lip service.

The company has spent N5.4 billion across 160 projects, touching every state and local government in the country.

At the launch, attended by government officials, development partners, and industry leaders, IHS Nigeria placed its measurable footprint on the table: digital skills for over 108,000 Nigerians, internet access for 956 schools, 9 oxygen plants across states, 4,000 trees planted, and over 20,000 residents given clean water through solar boreholes in Borno.

The event was the first time IHS publicly launched an impact report, and the CEO Mohamad Darwish said this was deliberate. “This evening is not just to talk about IHS or present a report but rather it is about telling a story of giving back,” he said. 

“Our stakeholders in IHS cannot just be shareholders, customers, suppliers, and employees. The communities we operate in have to be at the front and centre of our stakeholders list. We have a duty to create better conditions for people and communities to thrive today and for generations to come.”

Darwish recalled how the company’s visible support for the Federal Government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative prompted other corporates to follow suit. “Because IHS was first to support FG’s 3MTT initiative and it was publicised, other companies within and outside the sector jumped on the wagon,” he noted.

The IHS Nigeria Impact Report 2023–2024 is anchored on IHS Towers’ four sustainability pillars—ethics and governance, environment and climate change, education and economic growth, and people and communities—while aligning with nine of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Impact in Numbers

Dapo Otunla, senior vice president for Sustainability and chief corporate services officer, at IHS Nigeria reeled off commendable figures:

• N5.4 billion invested in 2023–2024 alone.
• 160 projects implemented nationwide, with a total spend of N11 billion since 2020.
• 956 schools connected to the internet.
• 1.7 million learners reached through the Nigerian Learning Passport.
• 20,000 beneficiaries of solar-powered boreholes in Borno, helping flood-displaced families return home.
• 201 hydrocele surgeries and treatment for over 1 million people with neglected tropical diseases.
• Over 14,000 children immunised, 13,800 girls empowered through digital education, and 205 young female innovators upskilled.
• 239 pints of blood donated by staff.
• Nearly 24,000 residents benefiting from solar streetlights across eight states.

“This report, and more importantly the stories that are inside, really gives a lot of pride and joy to IHS, to me personally, and every staff at IHS, for what we have achieved in terms of giving back to the communities that we operate,” Darwish said in a post-event interview.

Partners Speak

Government and partners present testified to IHS Nigeria’s unique approach. Dr Dapo Ademola Adesina, special adviser for Technical and Vocational Education in Osun State, commended the corporate culture: “I see IHS as touching lives, touching communities. This is very remarkable. If we can duplicate this all around the country, it’s been good, because technical and vocational education is big now—it’s the next big thing.”

Celine Lafoucriere, chief of UNICEF’s Southwest Nigeria Office, called IHS a “unique private sector partner”:

“IHS Towers has been working with us in many fields, including health, access to water and sanitation, and young people’s transition from learning to earning. IHS very much shares our ethical values and the drive to make sure that those communities can not only survive but thrive in Nigeria.”

She, however, flagged climate education as the next frontier: “There is no Planet B. To educate the youth of today to acquire green skills for greener jobs… is extremely important. The whole orientation that IHS Towers is giving to its sustainability work is perfectly aligned with the one we have.”

Internal Perspective

For staff, sustainability is not a side project. Ayotade Oyinlola, chief HR Officer of IHS Towers, stressed: “What we do in terms of giving back is about impact, not publicity. Wherever we have our towers—and that’s 16,000 towers strong—we should give something meaningful to the community in which we operate.”

Employees, he explained, propose initiatives from their communities which are then vetted, funded, and scaled: “We look at how sustainable these initiatives will be in the long run. And we go for it.”

The impact report frames IHS Nigeria not just as an infrastructure company but as a social investor. Dapo Otunla, further stated, “We believe in the power of the community and in empowering our people to help them unlock their full potential. Our interventions cut across the six geopolitical regions in Nigeria.”

Darwish, closing his address, reframed what success should mean in Nigeria’s corporate spaces:

“The report we unveil today is a testament to what is possible when a business redefines success not just by profit margins, but by the positive impact it creates.”

The cocktail session ended with a collage of images: schoolchildren holding tablets, women drawing water from solar boreholes, frontline workers in scholarships, and oxygen plants saving lives. 

A visual reminder that in a country where corporate social responsibility usually stops at branded T-shirts and photo ops, IHS Nigeria has gone deeper, into oxygen, clean water, digital futures, and hope.

With over 1,500 schools across Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda, Bridge International Academies is one of the largest education providers in Africa focused on providing quality, affordable education to underserved communities.

Bridge International Academies uses a data-driven approach to ensure that children receive high-quality education, regardless of their socio-economic status.

The partnership with Zoho is expected to further enhance Bridge’s ability to deliver impactful educational outcomes through the use of Zoho’s comprehensive suite of cloud-based applications.

Ogundare explained the importance of this collaboration, saying, “At Zoho, we believe in the power of technology to drive social impact. Our partnership with Bridge International Academies will help drive our goal to help communities thrive by empowering institutions like Bridge with the tools they need to deliver top-tier education.”

Through this partnership, Zoho aims to sponsor school uniforms, shoes, and fees for four academic terms, starting from the third term of 2024 and extending into 2025. In addition to these essentials, Zoho will provide other necessary items to 200 underprivileged pupils attending Bridge International Schools.

Zoho is contributing to sustainability by repurposing billboard flex materials to create school bags. These eco-friendly bags, designed and distributed by Zoho, have been given to 500 school children in Nigeria, further enhancing the company’s focus on both social and environmental responsibility.

The partnership will also see Bridge International Academies leveraging Zoho’s platform to simplify its operations, improve communication, and enhance overall efficiency.

Bridge will integrate Zoho’s productivity tools such as Zoho Workplace, Zoho CRM, and Zoho Desk into its day-to-day operations, allowing administrators, teachers, and support staff to work more effectively.

Zoho’s cloud-based tools will enable Bridge to manage student data, track academic performance, and facilitate better communication between schools, teachers, and parents.

One of the key aspects of the partnership is Zoho’s ability to offer customized solutions specifically tending to the needs of educational institutions.

“We understand that every industry is unique, and education is no exception. That’s why we’ve developed tools that are adaptable and can be tailored to the specific needs of schools like Bridge International Academies,” Ogundare noted.

By using Zoho’s tools, Bridge International Academies will also be able to analyze data more efficiently, allowing them to make informed decisions that can improve student outcomes.

For instance, Zoho Analytics will enable Bridge to assess the performance of its schools, track student attendance, and evaluate the effectiveness of teaching methods. These insights will help Bridge to refine its approach and ensure that it continues to provide high-quality education to its students.

Ogundare also emphasized the scalability of Zoho’s solutions, which will allow Bridge to expand its operations and reach even more students across Africa.

This partnership is part of Zoho’s goal to support social impact initiatives across the globe. Zoho has a long history of working with non-profit organizations and educational institutions, providing them with the tools they need to succeed in their missions.

Addressing an audience of industry experts, Mr. Adeniran shed light on the pivotal role of public relations practitioners in fostering an understanding of goodwill as a fundamental corporate investment.

During his remarks on the panel ‘Brand PR, Corporate Communications and the Bottom Line on Day 2 of the conference, Mr. Femi Adeniran emphasized,

“The duty of PR practitioners is to ensure that organizations understand that goodwill is a necessity that has a direct impact on the value of a business. It sits as a bucket of value. After establishing that, it is our responsibility as PR professionals to fill up this bucket through communication, stakeholder management, relationship building, and it’s from this bucket that organizations draw the fuel to propel their businesses forward”.

The panel, moderated by Victoria Uwadoka, lead, Corporate Communications, Public Affairs, and Sustainability at Nestle Nigeria; also had General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Coscharis Group, Abiona Babarinde; as a participant.

Other panelists were Lead, Public Relations, 9 Mobile, Chineze Amanfo; and Group Head, Media Operations, Strategic Communications and Events at Aiteo, Matthew Ndiana-Abasi.

The discussion further explored the benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives and their alignment with a brand’s core values.

Babarinde noted that while marketing is for branding, PR is for earning public trust and loyalty.

Adeniran provided a practical example of Airtel’s demonstration of goodwill building, citing the telecom giant’s investment in digital education for public schools.

“At Airtel, our core business is about connectivity and this naturally translates into a strong focus on digital education. One of these digital education initiatives is our partnership with UNICEF. Under this initiative, Airtel Africa has pledged over 50 million dollars to facilitate the connection. We have provided connection to digital learning platforms to 920 public schools in Nigeria. To date, we have positively impacted over 600,000 children, with our sights set on expanding this initiative to encompass an additional 500 schools before the end of this year,” he said.

Mr. Adeniran’s insights underscored the imperative for organizations to integrate CSR initiatives aligned with their core business values, thereby fostering sustainable growth while concurrently enriching communities.

The speakers delved into a range of pivotal sub-topics integral to improving business profitability through a strategic deployment of public relations, including measurement and evaluation, the handshake between public relations and marketing, and an intelligent use of technology.