Pakistani education activist, Malala Yousafzai
Nobel Laureate and Malala Fund co-founder, Malala Yousafzai, has reaffirmed Nigeria as a top priority in the Fund’s global efforts to promote girls’ education.
Speaking at a high-level stakeholder event in Abuja, titled “Partners in Change: Shaping the Future of Girls’ Education Together,” Malala highlighted the urgent challenges facing Nigerian girls in accessing education.
With Nigeria having the highest number of out-of-school children, Malala emphasized that many of these girls are eager to learn and deserve the opportunity to build their futures.
She outlined key focus areas of the Fund in Nigeria:
Supporting pregnant and married girls to return to school.
Ending child marriage through education.
Increasing education financing that meets girls’ specific needs.
Advocating for gender-responsive education policies.
Malala stressed the need for systemic change, noting that over 120 million girls are out of school globally, nearly 5 million in Nigeria alone. She called for 12 years of quality education for every girl, backed by transparent and equitable funding.
The Malala Fund, through partners like Invictus Africa and CATAI, is already working with states like Oyo, Gombe, and Adamawa to integrate gender-responsive education frameworks.
The event also saw a notable donation of $500,000 from Hauwa Ojeifo, Executive Director of She Writes Woman, via her Global Impact Fund for Women and Girls.
NAN
