The Malala Fund has unveiled a new $50 million global grantmaking strategy aimed at accelerating progress in girls’ education, with Nigeria positioned as a priority country. The five-year initiative, which runs from 2025 to 2030, seeks to empower local organisations, influence public policy, and create systemic change in education access for girls across several countries.
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Of the total commitment, $45 million will be allocated to multi-year grants for civil society organisations, while $5 million is set aside for rapid response to education-related crises. This marks a shift in the Fund’s approach from supporting primarily large, international NGOs to investing more deeply in grassroots and youth-led organisations. A minimum of 20% of all new grants will be directed to groups led by girls and young women.
Nigeria, which has one of the world’s highest numbers of out-of-school girls, will receive intensified support under this strategy. The Fund’s focus in Nigeria includes addressing policy gaps, child marriage, gender-based violence, and the underfunding of secondary education. These efforts aim to improve state and federal education frameworks by advocating for 12 years of free, safe, and quality education for every girl.
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Key policy reforms supported by the Fund in Nigeria involve revising the Universal Basic Education Act, pushing for the adoption of gender-responsive budgeting (GREB), and increasing state-level budget allocations for girls’ education. The Fund has worked with local partners to initiate these changes in several states, including Gombe, Kano, and Oyo.
This strategic investment follows more than a decade of work in Nigeria, where Malala Fund has previously disbursed $7.8 million in education programs. The new global strategy builds on this foundation, aiming to make Nigeria a model of success through strengthened collaboration with community-based organisations, youth advocates, and education policymakers.
Beyond Nigeria, the Malala Fund will also focus on Pakistan, Afghanistan, Brazil, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. These countries were selected based on the scale of education inequality and the potential for transformative impact through local leadership and policy reform.
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Globally, over 120 million girls remain out of school. With this expanded funding, Malala Fund aims to catalyse progress in addressing the root causes of gender disparities in education. By funding initiatives that are driven by local insights and solutions, the organisation is hoping to create lasting change in education systems that have long excluded girls.
The new strategy also reflects the Fund’s alignment with international development goals, including UNESCO’s benchmarks for education financing, which recommend allocating 15–20% of national budgets to education.
As Nigeria continues to face challenges around security, poverty, and access to basic services, the Fund’s prioritisation of the country represents a significant opportunity to not only expand education access, but also reinforce long-term social and economic stability through the empowerment of girls.
The Malala Fund’s renewed financial commitment and strategic direction mark a defining moment in the global push for gender equity in education, with Nigeria at the forefront of this ambitious agenda.
