Malala, Nigerian influencers discuss gender equality, education

10 years ago, Malala Yousafzai spoke at the United Nations General Assembly about the power of an educated girl.

To mark the 10-year anniversary of this speech, Malala and her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, travelled to Nigeria this July to visit schools, meet young women, activists and educators that Malala Fund supports, and urge leaders and governments everywhere about actions still needed to help all girls learn.

Right now, nearly 130 million are out of school around the world. In Nigeria, according to the latest UN statistics, there are more than 20 million children out of school — and more than half are girls.

Malala Yousafzai with Nigerian influencers [Grace Ekpu/Malala Fund] Pulse Nigeria

The barriers girls experience vary from discriminatory social norms, high rates of child marriage, insufficient school safety and poverty. Malala Fund wants to help change those statistics.

Since 2014, Malala Fund has invested over $6.1 million in partner organisations and their programmes across Nigeria. They focus on advocating for amendments to education legislation, specifically for 12 years of safe, free, quality education under the Universal Basic Education Act.

Malala Yousafzai with Nigerian influencers [Grace Ekpu/Malala Fund] Pulse Nigeria

Our partners are also training girls and activists, leading data-driven advocacy campaigns and working with communities to change minds and raise awareness about the value of girls’ education. But we also know that these educators and activists alone can’t achieve transformative change in silos.

Nigeria’s youth are driving culture and leading the charge for social change. Influencers from vloggers and podcasters to entertainment leaders are increasingly important in shaping public discourse and shifting social norms.

To showcase the power of collaboration and the importance of amplifying voices for positive change, Malala Fund brought together leading women from diverse fields including sports, music, social media, and film to share their experiences and ideas for making a more equal future.

Malala Yousafzai [Grace Ekpu/Malala Fund] Pulse Nigeria

The event was moderated by Osasu Igbinedion and covered issues like gender equality, education, and entertainment. It fostered an atmosphere of directness, openness, and lightheartedness, aiming to ignite learning and inspire action among the attendees.

Participants included Dr Munirat "Anto" Antoinette Lecky, Susan Pwajok, Maryam "Taooma" Apaokagi, Aituaje "Waje" Iruobe, Rahama Sadau, Jola "Jollz" Ayeye and Pearl Uzokwe.