Building on a 2025 collaboration that reached 100,000 children in Côte d'Ivoire, and launching a new partnership in Cameroon, IHS Towers and NABU are deepening their commitment to mother-tongue literacy across two of West and Central Africa's most linguistically diverse countries.
June 24th, 2026, Abidjan / Douala
NABU (nabu.org), a tech-enabled publisher of multilingual children's books, IHS Cameroon and IHS Côte d'Ivoire, both part of the IHS Holding Limited (NYSE: IHS) ("IHS Towers") group, one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared communications infrastructure in the world by tower count, have announced the expansion of their literacy programme in Côte d'Ivoire and a new partnership in Cameroon.
The two initiatives reflect a shared belief that education drives long-term community development. IHS Towers is providing funding and partner support; NABU is providing the content, local language adaption, and the platform. Together, they are working to improve literacy outcomes for children in communities that have historically lacked access to educational resources in local languages.
Across both markets, the initiatives seek to support UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 — Quality Education, and align with IHS Towers' broader commitment to creating social impact in the communities it serves.
CÔTE D'IVOIRE
NABU and IHS Côte d'Ivoire Expand Partnership — Phase 2: 8,000 Students Across 15 Schools
The 2026 NABU Côte d'Ivoire Literacy & Digital Storytelling Initiative will deploy smart TVs, tablets, and mother-tongue digital content with the aim of advancing literacy and digital education for children across Côte d'Ivoire.
This expansion follows the success of their 2025 collaboration, under which approximately 100,000 children gained improved access to locally relevant literacy and digital learning resources. The 2026 NABU Côte d'Ivoire Literacy & Digital Storytelling Initiative deepens that commitment, with a focus on direct school-level deployment.
The 2026 Initiative
The 2026 initiative will directly support 8,000 students across 15 schools through the deployment of smart TVs, tablets, and culturally relevant educational content in local languages. It responds to two challenges in Côte d'Ivoire's education landscape: a shortage of children's books in local languages, and the need for stronger literacy infrastructure in underserved communities.
Through the partnership, 60 NABU stories will be adapted into local languages. Audio narrations will be produced for delivery on both digital platforms and community radio. Smart TVs and tablets will be distributed to participating schools to support interactive reading in the classroom. A monitoring and evaluation framework will be established to track literacy outcomes and platform engagement across all 15 schools.
The initiative is designed to be accessible at every level of connectivity — from schools with reliable internet access to those in areas where radio and offline content remain the primary delivery channels.
CAMEROON
NABU, Zënu Network and IHS Cameroon Partner to Bring Medumba and Ewondo Stories to Children in the West and Centre Regions
A new partnership between NABU, Zënu Network and IHS Cameroon will produce children's books, audio narrations, and digital reading resources in Medumba and Ewondo — two Cameroonian languages that are underrepresented in children's publishing.
NABU has partnered with IHS Cameroon and Zënu Network, a Cameroonian digital education organisation, to promote digital literacy and support the preservation and spread of local languages among Cameroon's youth.
Together, NABU, Zënu Network and IHS Cameroon will create and distribute culturally relevant educational content in English and two local languages — Medumba (West Region) and Ewondo (Centre Region) — to primary school students in selected schools across both regions.
Key Activities
- Creation of original children's books in Medumba and Ewondo, published on NABU's digital platform (read.nabu.org) and in print
- Audio narration production for digital delivery via NABU's app and web reader, and broadcast via community radio
- Radio-based reading activations reaching communities beyond school walls
- Community reading sessions in schools and public spaces, facilitated by trained educators
- Distribution of NABU's digital platform access to students, with content available free of charge
Expected Outcomes
- Increased motivation among children to read in their own language
- A literacy bridge — from local language foundations to French and English proficiency
- Enhanced digital literacy skills among students through access to NABU's platform
“At IHS, we believe that access to quality education is the cornerstone of economic growth and sustainable development. Our partnership with NABU, expanding in IHS Côte d'Ivoire and launching in Cameroon, reflects our commitment to empowering children through access to locally relevant digital learning resources, while creating lasting impact within underserved communities..”
— Fatim Cissé, CEO, IHS Côte d'Ivoire & Cameroon
“At NABU, we believe every child deserves stories in the language they call home. Whether in Côte d'Ivoire or Cameroon, our partnership with IHS Towers is turning that belief into reality — bringing locally created, culturally relevant content to children who have historically had little access to stories in their own language.”
— Camille Park, CEO, NABU
“Through this partnership, literacy helps communities access essential services and products that support their well-being, thus reinforcing Zenü Network's mission to empower every citizen to contribute to the country's development.”
— Flaubert Djateng, Coordinator, Zënu Network
NABU's web reader and mobile app platform is currently active across 10+ countries, with more than 14 million children reached in 41 languages. Stories are available free of charge at read.nabu.org.
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About IHS Towers
IHS Towers is one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared communications infrastructure in the world by tower count and is solely focused on emerging markets. The company has more than 37,000 towers across seven markets, including Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia. For more information, please email: communications@ihstowers.com or visit: www.ihstowers.com.
About NABU
NABU is a tech-enabled publisher of multilingual children's books, providing equitable access to literacy so all children can read and rise to their full potential. NABU creates culturally responsive mother-tongue stories efficiently and at scale, with a vision of providing every child with equitable access to literacy by 2030. Visit nabu.org.
About Zënu Network
A civil society network dealing with social and financial education for youth at school and out of school. Also promoting a network of trained teachers and facilitators to be available for youth. Zenü Network proves every day that education and literacy are not a luxury, but a necessity to build a united and resilient Cameroon. Visit zenu.org
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