Rotimi Olawale, Education Champion

Advocating government officials to pass laws that improve girls’ access to 12 years of education

The Issue

The issue

In 2003, the Nigerian National Assembly passed the Child Welfare and Protection bill (Child Rights Act), which guarantees children the right to free, quality basic education and prevents marriage under the age of 18. However, for the Child Rights Act to take effect nationwide, all 36 Nigerian states must also ratify it. So far, only 11 states — all in northern Nigeria — have not taken this step. Additionally, Nigeria’s Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act provides for just nine years of education, preventing girls across the country from completing their secondary education.

Rotimi’s approach

Policy Reform

Growing up in Nigeria, Rotimi saw how his parents treated his siblings and him the same, splitting household chores equally between their sons and daughters. Those early lessons on gender equality left a lasting impression on Rotimi and for the past 10 years, he has worked as a youth development expert and girls’ education advocate. In 2012, he founded YouthHubAfrica (YHA), an online platform to engage students across Africa in social change. Rotimi served as the spokesperson for the #BringBackOurGirls campaign in 2014 to demand government action over the abduction of over 200 girls in northern Nigeria.

With his Malala Fund grant, Rotimi encourages lawmakers in Kebbi, Sokoto, Kano and Kaduna states to pass the Child Rights Act through meetings with stakeholders, media outreach and digital campaigns.

With the Nigerian chapter of the Malala Fund Education Champion Network, Rotimi also meets with government officials to encourage them to pass an amendment to the UBE Act that would extend the free, compulsory education provision from nine years to 12 years and improve states’ access to UBE funds.

The chapter is also researching the effects of hidden education fees — for books, school meals, transportation, security and other costs — on families and how much additional funding is needed for schools to function without collecting fees from students. The Nigerian Education Champions plan to use their research to convince the governors of Kaduna and Borno states to provide sufficient education funding, eliminating all hidden fees by 2023.

Rotimi’s impact

In 2017, as a result of Rotimi’s advocacy with the other Nigerian Education Champions, the 8th Senate passed the amendment to the UBE Act, which would guarantee every child in Nigeria the right to 12 years of education. The Nigerian Education Champion chapter is currently working to ensure the 9th National Assembly passes the amendment as well. Rotimi’s advocacy with the chapter led the state government to pass the Child Rights Act into law in Kaduna State in 2018. This law guarantees all children in Kaduna the right to free, quality basic education and prevents marriage under the age of 18.