The Malala Fund has announced a new investment of $1.7 million to support nine Nigerian organisations working to expand access to education for girls. The funding forms part of a broader $4.8 million package directed to 21 grassroots organisations across Brazil, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Tanzania, as outlined on the Fund’s website.
The Fund’s Communications Manager in Nigeria, Nankwat Mbi, confirmed the country’s allocation in a statement released on Wednesday in Abuja, noting that the intervention aligns with the Malala Fund’s 2025–2030 strategy, which prioritises countries with the highest numbers of out-of-school girls.
According to the Fund, 66 per cent of the new grants are going to young women-led organisations—more than triple its initial target. Nigeria and Pakistan alone account for 15 per cent of the world’s out-of-school girls, underscoring the urgency of such interventions.
Nine Nigerian Organisations to Benefit
The Nigerian grantees include:
- Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative
- Anti-Sexual Violence Lead Support Initiative
- Black Girls’ Dream Initiative
- BudgiT Foundation for the Promotion of Information in Nigeria
- Centre for Advocacy, Transparency and Accountability Initiative
- Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative
- Participatory Communication for Gender Development Initiative
- Teenage Education and Empowerment Network
- Women, Children, Youth Health and Education Initiative
These organisations will implement programmes that address barriers to girls’ education, including child marriage, conflict, gender discrimination, and shrinking education budgets.
Malala Yousafzai: Funding Will Help Married Girls, Young Mothers Stay in School
Co-founder of the Malala Fund, Malala Yousafzai, said the new grants will enable married girls and young mothers in Nigeria to complete secondary school. She expressed pride that most of the funding is going to young women-led groups:
“Our partners are leading the fight for girls to learn, even under the toughest circumstances.”
She noted that the Fund’s Education Champion Network (ECN) supports organisations championing policy reforms and grassroots impact in their respective countries.
Focus on Systemic, Practical Solutions
Lena Alfi, Chief Executive Officer of the Malala Fund, emphasised that the partner organisations are deeply connected to the challenges girls face and are well-positioned to deliver effective, systemic solutions.
“With girls’ rights under pressure and resourcing slipping worldwide, the smartest investments we can make is in the young women and seasoned activists who know exactly how to defend them,” she said.
Alfi added that the Malala Fund prioritises flexible, multi-year grants to allow partners to deploy resources where they are needed most—covering areas such as policy advocacy, budget transparency, safe-school initiatives, re-entry programmes for young mothers, and eliminating hidden school costs.
What the New Grants Will Support in Nigeria
The new cohort of Nigerian grantees will focus on:
- Scaling gender-responsive budgeting and transparency
- Enhancing citizen oversight of education spending
- Supporting school re-entry for married and pregnant girls
- Using digital tools to track education funding and infrastructure gaps
The investment marks another significant step in the Malala Fund’s mission to ensure every girl has access to 12 years of free, safe, and quality education.