IHS Towers reported zero workplace fatalities across its operations in 2025 while training more than 140,000 students in digital skills. The figures, disclosed Monday in the company’s latest sustainability report, cap an eight-year period during which the telecoms infrastructure operator spent $45 million on community programmes across Africa and Latin America.
Not a single recordable injury among employees.
The achievement stands out in an industry where tower maintenance crews work at height daily, often in remote locations across seven countries. IHS operates over 37,000 communications towers spanning Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, CĂ´te d’Ivoire, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia, making it one of the world’s largest independent tower operators by count.
The New York-listed company disclosed the figures in its 2025 sustainability report, published 26th May, covering activities from January through December last year. Chairman and chief executive Sam Darwish pointed to the $8.2 million invested in communities during 2025 alone—bringing the total since 2017 to $45 million.
“At IHS Towers, we remain committed to advancing digital inclusion and delivering meaningful impact through our four sustainability pillars,” Darwish said. “We believe mobile connectivity has the power to unlock significant social value, and we recognize the critical role it plays in expanding access to education and economic opportunity.”
The bulk of that education push happened in Nigeria. Through the country’s 3 Million Technical Talent initiative, IHS trained more than 140,000 students in digital skills throughout the year. In CĂ´te d’Ivoire, literacy programmes reached 100,000 children. Another 9,500 students across Brazil, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia received training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“Our 2025 Sustainability Report highlights this impact, showcasing our community-focused initiatives across Africa and Latin America,” Darwish added. “We are proud of the long-term value we continue to create for our stakeholders and are pleased to share the progress we are making across key HSSE priorities, our Carbon Reduction Roadmap, and the $45 million we have invested in our communities since 2017.”
But the environmental numbers tell a more complicated story.
IHS reduced its combined Scope 1 and Scope 2 kilowatt-hour emissions intensity by approximately 21.4 per cent compared with recalculated 2021 baseline data. The baseline was adjusted following the company’s sale of its Kuwait operations in 2024. While the reduction marks progress, it leaves nearly 80 per cent of the journey to carbon neutrality still ahead.
Environmental initiatives during 2025 included planting over 25,000 seedlings across nine hectares in Brazil’s Amazon region, done in partnership with the Institute of Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Amazon. In Nigeria, IHS partnered with the Federal Capital Territory Administration on Project Breathe Clean Air-Abuja, distributing liquefied petroleum gas cylinders and cookers to 5,000 households to promote cleaner cooking alternatives.
The company also donated 700 solar-powered streetlights to Nigerian communities and launched a pilot project with ApiFusion at two rural tower sites to test sustainable beekeeping as a community empowerment tool. Whether these initiatives scale beyond pilot stage remains unclear.
On the workforce front, female representation climbed to 29 per cent in 2025, up from 27 per cent the previous year. Male employees accounted for 71 per cent. Training averaged 13 hours per employee through the company’s IHS Academy platform.
Governance achievements included IHS South Africa securing a Level 1 rating in its Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment audit—the highest possible designation under South Africa’s framework for measuring companies’ contributions to economic transformation. The company maintained its ISO 37001 Anti-Bribery Management System certification across its UAE, UK and operational markets.
Supply chain integrity remained a focus. Some 7,861 supplier employees completed training on topics related to IHS’s Supplier Code of Conduct during the year. Internal compliance improved marginally, with 98 per cent of employees completing annual anti-bribery and corruption training, up from 96 per cent in 2024.
The company scored 37 out of 100 in the 2025 S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment as of 18th December. The score provides a benchmark against industry peers, though IHS did not disclose how it ranked relative to other tower operators or telecoms infrastructure firms.
For investors, the report offers a window into how one of the emerging markets’ largest tower operators balances growth with environmental and social commitments. The company’s infrastructure provides the backbone for mobile connectivity that drives economic activity and social development across regions where digital access remains patchy.
Whether the $45 million community investment translates into measurable long-term outcomes—and whether the carbon reduction roadmap accelerates beyond its current trajectory—will determine if the sustainability strategy delivers on its stated vision. The company operates in markets where regulatory scrutiny of ESG commitments continues to intensify, and where communities increasingly expect tangible benefits from the infrastructure built in their neighbourhoods.
The zero-fatality record, at least, offers one unambiguous metric of success.
