I was honoured to deliver the Goodwill Message and launch the Civil Society Manifesto for Education at the Malala Fund Nigeria Chapter National Moment on Basic & Secondary Education 2023, a purpose-built event to engage critical education stakeholders and development partners on key gender transformative education issues and sub-sector priorities for the incoming government of Nigeria.

Taking place yesterday on the United Nations International Girls in Information and Communications Technology Day, and in alignment with the Malala Fund mission to build a world where every girl can learn and lead, I presented the Civil Society Manifesto on Education which is endorsed by my the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, to representatives from the Federal Ministry of Education, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.

Through making gender responsive education sector planning and budgeting a national priority, I believe the Manifesto will be a catalyst for Nigeria to recognise and address the gendered barriers to education, and urge the new incoming government to promote the education of the girl child, addressing education gaps and fundamental issues that contribute to out of school and poor literacy levels across Nigeria.

An educated girl grows into a woman who has the adequate knowledge and skill to ensure the welfare of her family, the health of her children and the positive social impact of her community. My Wellbeing Foundation Africa and I look forward to further emboldening and engendering the Malala Fund mission of 12 years of free, safe, quality education for every girl in Nigeria through the Civil Society Manifesto on Education and look ahead to the Gender Review Report, as we advocate, at the local, national and international levels, for resources and policy changes that improve access to education for girls and towards the global goal to see every child in school by 2030.

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