Courtesy of Tolu Onibokun for Malala Fund
Nigeria is the richest country in Africa — and home to more out-of-school girls than any country in the world.
The Qatar Foundation’s annual WISE Awards honours six innovative projects that tackle the challenges preventing students around the world from learning. Included amongst the 2018 recipients is Malala Fund Education Champion Habiba Mohammed in recognition of her work with girls in northern Nigeria.
Nigeria is the richest country in Africa — and home to more out-of-school girls than any country in the world. In northern Nigeria, poverty, extremism, high school fees and discrimination keep girls out of the classroom.
As co-director of the Centre for Girls’ Education, Habiba teaches girls ages 12 to 18 to be advocates in their communities through the Safe Space Club for Girls programme. In the places where the Safe Space Club for Girls operates, girls’ secondary school completion rates rose from 4% to 82%. Using her Education Champion Network grant, Habiba also advocates for the Kaduna State government to eliminate school costs and ensure higher learning standards.
Habiba shares the 2018 WISE Award with representatives from One Village One PreSchool, Generation, Technology-Based Deaf Education Pakistan and Partners for Possibility. Each honouree received $20,000 to support their project’s expansion.
With this award, Habiba hopes to be able to reach more girls and continue to improve primary to secondary school transition rates. Along with her fellow Education Champions, Habiba’s work is breaking down the barriers girls face and ensuring all girls in Nigeria receive 12 years of free, safe, quality education.
Learn about Malala Fund’s Education Champion Network by visiting malala.org/champions.
