The Malala Fund has announced that it reached more than 26 million students through its education programmes in its 2024/2025 fiscal year.
This was disclosed in the Fund’s annual report published on its website on Monday.
According to the report, the Fund invested 66.4 million U.S. dollars while supporting 123 education champions, 65 girls’ programme fellows, and several partner organisations across different regions.
The report noted that the Fund concentrated its interventions in six countries: Nigeria, Pakistan, Brazil, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.
In these countries, the organisation supported the passage of laws protecting girls’ rights in Nigeria, Brazil, and Tanzania. The report added that with nearly five million adolescent girls currently out of school in Nigeria, its partners advanced gender-responsive budgeting and policy reforms while also strengthening civil societies’ capacity and community accountability to promote inclusive education.
Impact in Nigeria
In Kano State, Nigeria, the Fund said the BridgeConnect Africa Initiative’s advocacy led to the institutionalisation of the Gender Responsive Education Budgeting (GREB) framework.
Under this framework, more than 50 government stakeholders were trained, and a 15-member GREB Committee was established.
“These efforts contributed to an increase in the education budget from 19 per cent to 35 per cent for girls’ education. This resulted in the reopening of 15 girls’ secondary schools, expanded access to free transportation and uniforms and recruitment of more female teachers,” the report stated.
In Adamawa State, the report highlighted that the Centre for Advocacy, Transparency and Accountability Initiative (CATAI) worked with the state government to launch its first comprehensive education policy. The policy focused on addressing gender disparities through mentorship, safe school environments, gender-sensitive leadership, and strong parental engagement.
Advocacy beyond Nigeria
Beyond Nigeria, the Fund reported that it advanced the global campaign to end gender apartheid in Afghanistan, which remains the only country banning girls from attending secondary schools.
“We also launched a new initiative to reform global debt structures and unlock billions for education, as the current debt crisis cripples governments’ ability to build schools, pay teachers and ensure safe transport for girls,” the report stated.
According to the report, the Fund awarded 10.2 million U.S. dollars in grants to 57 organisations across ten countries. Most of these funds were directed to its Education Champion Network (ECN), the Afghanistan Initiative, and the Girls’ Programme, while additional grants supported partners responding to crises disrupting girls’ education.
CEO’s remarks
The Fund’s Chief Executive Officer, Lena Alfi, disclosed that the organisation unlocked seven billion U.S. dollars in donor commitments to finance education. She explained that this helped support 13 million students to continue learning amid unforeseen setbacks.
Alfi said grantee partners played significant roles in passing and implementing laws that guarantee children’s right to education.
“From a constitutional amendment in Brazil which cemented education funding for marginalised girls, to the Child Rights Act in Nigeria which protects girls from child marriage.
“They made sure policies and budgets actually improved girls’ ability to learn, from ensuring adolescent mothers in Tanzania can return to school to increasing funding for teacher salaries and safe transportation in Pakistan,” she said.
According to her, the achievements recorded marked the completion of the Fund’s 2020 to 2025 strategy, setting the stage for the next five years.
What you should know
Nairametrics reported that the Malala Fund, co-founded in 2013 by Malala Yousafzai and Ziauddin Yousafzai, advocates for 12 years of free, safe, and quality education for every girl around the world.
Nairametrics reported that in its new five-year strategy (2025-2030), the Fund announced a global investment of $50 million, with a significant share prioritised for Nigeria.
In 2024, the Fund invested 7.8 million U.S. dollars in girl-child education programmes in Nigeria.
