The United Nations has reaffirmed its partnership with the Malala Fund to break down barriers to education in Nigeria, particularly for girls who remain disproportionately affected by challenges of access. Speaking during a strategic engagement in Abuja with Malala Yousafzai and her team, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mohamed Malick Fall, stressed that no child should be left behind in the quest for inclusive and equitable education.

Fall, who led a delegation of senior UN officials from UNICEF, UNESCO, UNDP, UNFPA, and UN Women, identified insecurity, poverty, climate change, and entrenched socio-cultural norms as the biggest hurdles. He called for stronger investment in human capital, saying societal transformation hinges on educating girls and empowering women. Malala, in her remarks, underscored Nigeria’s priority status in the Malala Fund’s 2025–2030 strategy, disclosing that over $8 million has been invested in local organisations since 2014. She highlighted strategic priorities such as increasing education financing, returning married and pregnant girls to school, and using education as a solution to end child marriage.

Chief Executive Officer of Malala Fund Nigeria, Nabila Aguele, restated the organisation’s commitment to ensuring every girl completes 12 years of schooling. Meanwhile, UNICEF has separately renewed its pledge to address the growing number of out-of-school children in Sokoto State. During a visit to the historic SKS Model Primary School in Yabo, UNICEF Country Representative, Wafa Said, praised local efforts but lamented that too many children still roam the streets rather than sit in classrooms.

Community leaders cited poverty and poor parental awareness as major barriers. Religious leaders, however, are backing the campaign, using Friday sermons to encourage school enrolment. UNICEF’s initiatives, including the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach, have already improved literacy rates, according to the school headmaster. The agency’s Head of Field Office in Sokoto, Michael Juma, promised continued teacher training support and urged school committees to adopt climate-friendly practices such as tree planting to sustain progress.