Global telecommunications infrastructure company IHS Towers has released its 2025 Sustainability Report, outlining the group’s environmental, social, and governance achievements while reinforcing its long-term commitment to digital inclusion and sustainable development across its markets.

The report, which covers activities from January 1 to December 31, 2025, details how the company continued to strengthen its sustainability agenda through investments in communities, climate initiatives, workplace development, and ethical governance practices.

As one of the world’s largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared communications infrastructure by tower count, IHS Towers said its operations remain central to expanding mobile connectivity and supporting economic growth in underserved regions.

The company’s sustainability framework is built around four key pillars — ethics and governance, environment and climate change, education and economic growth, and people and communities — all of which were advanced further during the year under review.

According to the report, IHS Towers continued implementing programs aimed at improving access to education, promoting digital connectivity, supporting local communities, and advancing its health, safety, security, and environmental (HSSE) priorities.

The company also highlighted progress made under its Carbon Reduction Roadmap as part of broader efforts to improve operational sustainability and reduce environmental impact across its markets in Africa and Latin America.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of IHS Towers, Sam Darwish, said the company remains focused on using connectivity as a tool for social and economic transformation.

“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.”

He added that the 2025 Sustainability Report reflects the company’s growing investment in community-focused initiatives across its operational footprint.

“Our 2025 Sustainability Report highlights this impact, showcasing our community-focused initiatives across Africa and Latin America,” he stated.

“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.”

The company noted that its sustainability efforts are designed to support a broad range of stakeholders, including employees, customers, suppliers, regulators, governments, shareholders, and host communities.

Industry observers say the growing demand for digital infrastructure continues to place telecommunications tower companies at the center of economic expansion, especially in emerging markets where mobile connectivity remains a critical driver of financial inclusion, education access, and business growth.

With mobile penetration increasing across several developing economies, infrastructure providers like IHS Towers are also facing mounting pressure to balance operational expansion with environmental responsibility and social impact commitments.

The latest sustainability report signals the company’s intention to deepen that balance while positioning connectivity as a catalyst for long-term development.

2025 Sustainability Report Highlights

As of and for the year ended December 31, 2025, we reported environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) related progress including:

Environment

  • Carbon Reduction Roadmap:
Reduced our Scope 1 and Scope 2 kilowatt-hour emissions intensity by approximately 21.4%, compared with our 2021 baseline emissions data
  • Commenced the planting of over 25,000 seedlings across nine hectares in Brazil’s Amazon region in collaboration with the Institute of Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Amazon (Idesam)
  • Partnered with the Federal Capital Territory Administration in Nigeria to promote the adoption of clean cooking gas through the 'Project Breathe Clean Air-Abuja’ and provide 5,000 households with LPG cylinders and cookers.
  • Continued an initiative in Nigeria to install solar-powered streetlights, donating 700 units of streetlights across communities nationwide
  • Launched a pilot project with ApiFusion at two rural tower sites to promote sustainable beekeeping and community empowerment
Social
  • Reported no recordable work-related injuries or fatalities among IHS employees.
  • 29% of our employees were female, an increase from 27% in 2024, and 71% were male.
  • Employees completed 13 hours of training on average on the IHS Academy.
  • Spent $8.2 million on community-focused sustainability initiatives, bringing the total investment in our local communities to $45 million since 2017.
Enhanced digital inclusion by:
  • Training more than 140,000 students in digital skills through Nigeria’s 3  Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative.
  • Reaching 100,000 children through a literacy program in Côte d’Ivoire.
  • Training over 9,500 students in STEM skills in Brazil, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia  
Governance
  • IHS South Africa achieved a Level 1 rating in its Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) audit
  • Maintained our ISO 37001 Anti-Bribery Management System certification2
  • Scored 37 (out of 100) in the 2025 S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA Score)3
  • Continued driving high standards of integrity throughout our supply chain; 7,861 supplier employees completed training in topics relating to our Supplier Code of Conduct
  • 98% of employees, versus 96% in 2024, completed annual Anti-Bribery and Corruption training