The Malala Fund has announced a global investment of $50 million as part of a new five-year strategy to eliminate the systemic barriers preventing girls from accessing secondary education.
This was disclosed by the Fund’s Communications Manager in Nigeria, Nankwat Dakum, in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
According to Dakum, a significant portion of the $50 million will go to Nigeria, where the education crisis is particularly dire in the northern region.
Initiative targets 12 years of education for every girl
Dakum explained that the new initiative, titled Strengthening Rights and Securing Resources for Girls’ Secondary Education, aims to increase the number of girls completing 12 years of free, quality education.
“This strategy will support local groups, advocate for better education funding, and help girls complete 12 years of education, especially those affected by early marriage.”
According to Dakum, more than five million girls in Nigeria remain out of school, with the North-East and North-West zones recording the worst numbers.
“Girls face child marriage, poverty, gender violence, and insecurity challenges, worsened by underinvestment in education.
“Malala Fund’s strategy will address this. We support women-led organisations, demand fair education policies, and hold leaders accountable for education funding,” Dakum stated.
- She noted that the Malala Fund’s interventions will prioritise six states: Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Kano, and Oyo, while also engaging the federal government on broader education policy reforms, including electoral commitments.
Investing in grassroots leadership
The Malala Fund’s Nigeria Chief Executive, Nabila Aguele, also reiterated the organisation’s support for young girls advocating for their right to education.
“We are witnessing adolescent girls in Nigeria demand education, despite overwhelming odds.
This strategy represents our promise to support them. Advancing girls’ education demands swift policy reforms and local engagement,” Aguele stated.
More insights
The Malala Fund was co-founded in 2013 by Nobel Peace Prize-winning Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai and her father, educator and activist Ziauddin Yousafzai, to champion girls’ right to 12 years of free, safe, and quality education.
According to NAN, Malala Fund has invested over $56 million globally and supported 21.8 million girls over the past 10 years. In Nigeria, its efforts have focused on education access, women-led advocacy, and accountability in funding for school systems.
Recently, the Fund’s co-founder, Ziauddin Yousafzai, visited Nigeria to meet with traditional and religious leaders, as well as civil society groups. The visit aimed to mobilise men and boys to support girls’ rights to education a vital component of the Fund’s strategy for 2020–2025.
