Priorities:
Strengthening the right to education for married girls and young mothers.
Enhancing funding for girls’ secondary education
Our work in Nigeria
Investing since 2014
Our work in Nigeria
Investing since 2014
Priorities:
Strengthening the right to education for married girls and young mothers.
Enhancing funding for girls’ secondary education
Strengthening rights
In most parts of Nigeria, long-held cultural beliefs limit girls’ roles to marriage and motherhood, limiting their full potential. Nationally, 30% of young women are married before turning 18, and closer to 50% in the north. Child marriage decreases the likelihood of Nigerian girls completing secondary or higher education by 23%.
We advocate alongside our partners to advance national- and state-level action to end child marriage and improve policies to ensure married and pregnant adolescent girls can return to school.
Securing resources
Lack of government resources has led to overcrowded classrooms, low teacher morale and widespread inequality in education access, especially in states with high out-of-school numbers and rural areas where conflict often interrupts learning.
We advocate alongside our partners to increase education funding at federal and state levels, and for the development of gender-responsive education plans and budgets.
Approach
Our grantmaking approach
Through our Education Champion Network, we invest in civil society organisations dedicated to advancing policies that strengthen and resource girls’ right to education. We aim to allocate at least 20% of our grants to organisations led by girls or young women to realise their powerful potential to generate new solutions and lead change.
We consider our grantees to be true partners and strive to catalyse and complement their work at the local, national and global levels. Our flexible, multi-year grants provide our partners with the stability and agility they need to achieve lasting impact for girls.
Advocacy
Advocacy highlights
Our resident team in Nigeria directly advocates alongside partners to strengthen girls’ right to secondary education and unlock more resources to realise policy commitments.
Together, we have:
Pushed for amendments to the Universal Basic Education Act to recognise girls’ right to 12 years of education.
Advocated for state-level adoption of the national Child Rights Act.
Helped shape the government’s commitment to girls’ education in the 2024-2027 National Education Roadmap.
Advocated for gender-responsive education budgeting adopted by Gombe, Kano and Oyo states.
Launched a Gender Review of State Education Sector Plans, providing evidence for how gender-responsive education sector planning (GRESP) can improve education outcomes for girls.
Team
Nigeria office
Our resident team in Abuja leads systemic change for girls, managing our grantmaking and working closely with grantee partners to drive action on our shared policy priorities in Nigeria.
Chief Executive, Nigeria
Nabila Aguele
Chief Executive, Nigeria
Nabila Aguele
Nabila leads Malala Fund’s work in Nigeria, setting direction for the organisation’s country strategy and operations, and overseeing the external affairs portfolio.
Partnership Manager
Maryam Danburam
Partnership Manager
Maryam Danburam
Maryam oversees grantee relationships and ensures successful programme delivery around policy change and implementation related to girls' education in Nigeria.
Communications Manager, Nigeria
Nankwat Dakum Mbi
Communications Manager, Nigeria
Nankwat Dakum Mbi
Nankwat develops and executes communication strategies to advance Malala Fund’s work for girls' education in Nigeria.
Support Malala’s fight for girls’ education
With more than 122 million girls out of school today, she needs your help to reach the most vulnerable girls denied an education.
Your gift today is an investment in Malala Fund's work to help girls around the world go to school.
