By Aisha Gambo, Kaduna The Malala Fund has called on the Kaduna State Government to strengthen re-entry policies that enable mar...
By Aisha Gambo, Kaduna
The Malala Fund has called on the Kaduna State Government to strengthen re-entry policies that enable married girls and adolescent mothers to return to school so they can contribute meaningfully to society.
Ms. Nabila Aguele, Chief Executive of the Malala Fund in Nigeria, made the call during a visit to the Centre for Girls’ Education (CGE) in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Aguele explained that the visit followed the Fund’s first-ever global board meeting held in Nigeria and was aimed at engaging directly with grassroots partners.
“When you are partnering with organisations and advocating for girls’ education, you must be on the ground to see and experience the safe spaces, talk to the girls, their mentors, and their teachers,” she said.
She noted that the team met adolescent mothers in safe spaces who had faced challenges such as child marriage and gender-based violence, yet remained hopeful of returning to school.
“Policies must guarantee that hope,” she stressed.
Aguele stated that the Malala Fund, which has operated in Nigeria for over a decade, currently supports 29 local organisations, including the CGE.
She expressed concern that Nigeria accounts for over 22 million girls married before the age of 18, the highest number in West and Central Africa, with many already mothers.
Aguele warned that the growing education gap among girls had long-term developmental consequences, noting that children of unschooled mothers are less likely to attend school.
“Education delays early marriage, improves health outcomes, boosts GDP, and creates better choices for families. If we ignore these girls, we risk Nigeria’s development future,” she added.
She also said the Malala Fund was promoting gender-responsive budgeting in the education sector, stressing that policy-making must reflect the voices and realities of girls in their communities.
Habiba Mohammed, Executive Director of the Centre for Girls’ Education, said the organisation had impacted more than 200,000 girls across Kaduna State through its safe space programme since 2016.
She explained that the safe spaces provide life skills, vocational training, reproductive health education, nutrition awareness, climate change education, and guidance on gender-based violence.
The programme also supports married adolescent girls, engaging their husbands, parents, religious leaders, and community stakeholders to facilitate their return to school.
“We want every girl, including married adolescents, to have lifelong learning opportunities so that even after 12 years of schooling, they continue to grow,” she said.
During the visit, some beneficiaries of the safe space programme commended CGE and the Malala Fund for transforming their lives.
Maimuna Muhammad, a married participant, said joining the programme helped her understand gender-based violence and how to respond to it, adding that she now knows how to care for herself and her baby.
The visit was led by Mr. Ziauddin Yousafzai, co-founder of the Malala Fund, alongside Aguele, board members, and international colleagues, who interacted with mentors and girls in Bizara and Dambo communities in Zaria.
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