The Malala Fund has committed US$1.7 million to bolster education for girls in Nigeria, channeling the resources through nine local organisations. This infusion is part of a larger US$4.8 million grant package awarded to 21 nonprofits across Brazil, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Nigeria, aligned with the Fund’s 2025–2030 strategy.
These nine beneficiaries include the Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative, Anti-Sexual Violence Lead Support Initiative, Black Girls’ Dream Initiative, BudgIT Foundation, Centre for Advocacy, Transparency & Accountability Initiative, Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative, Participatory Communication for Gender Development Initiative, Teenage Education and Empowerment Network, and the Women, Children, Youth Health and Education Initiative.
The funding will support projects to improve gender-responsive budgeting, transparency, and citizen oversight of educational spending. It will also tackle interventions that help pregnant or married girls re-enter school, and deploy digital tools to monitor education infrastructure and expenditure.
Malala Yousafzai underscored the importance of this investment by saying, “I am incredibly proud that most of the funding we are awarding under our new strategy is going to organisations led by young women. From reducing the cost of books and transport … to ensuring married girls and young mothers in Nigeria can complete secondary school, our partners are leading the fight for girls to learn, even under the toughest circumstances.”
Lena Alfi, Chief Executive Officer of the Malala Fund, emphasized that the organisation favors flexible, multi-year grants so that partners can direct support to where it’s most needed, from policy advocacy to safe-school programmes and removing hidden school costs.
Investing in girls’ education strengthens Nigeria’s human capital, boosting long-term productivity and economic growth. By supporting secondary school re-entry and budgeting transparency, this $1.7 million grant helps reduce gender gaps while promoting more efficient allocation of public funds, all of which can drive more inclusive economic development.
