Nigeria has received a $2.95 million grant from the Malala Fund to support organisations working to advance girls’ rights, strengthen education financing and improve access to and completion of secondary education.
The funding was disclosed in the Malala Fund’s 2025–2026 Annual Report, which highlighted efforts to work with local partners to influence policies and systems that create barriers to girls’ education in Nigeria and other countries.
According to the report, the Nigerian grant will support organisations working directly with girls and communities to address barriers to education and increase opportunities for girls to enrol in and complete secondary school.
Globally, the Malala Fund awarded $9.8 million in grants during the year and worked with its partners to contribute to six major policy and implementation changes across Nigeria and Pakistan.
The organisation reported that more than 122 million girls are currently out of school worldwide, with factors such as conflict, displacement, child marriage, early motherhood, poverty and inadequate educational infrastructure contributing to the problem.
In Nigeria and Tanzania, child marriage and early motherhood were identified as significant factors contributing to girls leaving school, while other countries face challenges including restrictions on girls’ education, shortages of female teachers and the rising cost of schooling.
The Malala Fund stressed that government policies and international commitments alone were not enough to remove the barriers preventing girls from accessing education.
It highlighted the role of civil society organisations in turning policy commitments into practical action by gathering evidence, challenging harmful social norms, building coalitions and holding governments accountable for their education commitments.
The report also revealed that 66 per cent of funding provided through the organisation’s Education Champion Network went to organisations led by young women during the year.
The Malala Fund further highlighted the economic importance of investing in girls’ education, estimating that failing to enable girls to complete secondary school could cost the global economy between $15 trillion and $30 trillion in lost productivity and earnings.
It noted that girls’ education has wider implications for economic growth, participation in the workforce, financial inclusion and health outcomes across generations.
The organisation also outlined its five-year strategy, which focuses on working with local advocates, civil society coalitions and governments to influence the policies, financing and systems that determine whether girls are able to complete their education.
The Malala Fund said it would continue to expand and accelerate these efforts to ensure that every girl has the opportunity to learn and make informed choices about her future.
