UNICEF has announced a continent-wide procurement initiative aimed at expanding internet connectivity to schools, health centres and other child-serving institutions across 54 African countries.
The programme seeks to accelerate connectivity for up to 500,000 schools and essential service facilities, helping bridge the digital divide that continues to exclude millions of children from access to education, information and online protection services.
The first phase of the initiative involves a public Request for Expression of Interest (REoI), designed to identify and prequalify internet service providers capable of delivering turnkey managed connectivity solutions at scale. These may include terrestrial, wireless, satellite or hybrid solutions. A competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) is scheduled for the second quarter of 2026.
UNICEF estimates that 2.6 billion people globally remain offline, with children in rural and low-income African communities disproportionately affected. The agency warns that without systemic reform, connectivity gaps could further widen inequalities in education, healthcare and economic opportunities.
The initiative marks a shift from fragmented, country-by-country procurement efforts to a coordinated, continental approach. By aggregating government demand and standardising service-level expectations, UNICEF aims to create a scalable procurement model that provides clearer demand signals and greater predictability for service providers.
Under the framework, UNICEF will act as a procurement agent for participating governments, collaborating with financing institutions such as the World Bank and partners including Smart Africa and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). The agency brings extensive procurement experience, managing approximately $5.2 billion annually across 162 countries in sectors such as vaccines and essential supplies.
The REoI does not require binding financial bids at this stage. Instead, it seeks detailed information on providers’ operational capacity, geographic coverage and ability to deliver accountable, large-scale managed connectivity services. Only prequalified providers will be invited to participate in the competitive RFP process.
UNICEF emphasised that eligible providers must operate legally within participating countries and offer solutions that ensure reliable power supply, cybersecurity safeguards and child-appropriate protection measures.
