Major Investment Gives Millions of Girls a Chance to Learn

Nigeria has rebuilt and expanded schooling for millions of students through a nationwide girls’ education programme that is transforming access to safe, modern classrooms.

“Thanks to the training I received, I graduated and now earn a living as a graphic designer and public speaker,” said Maryam Ma’aruf, a recent beneficiary of the programme.

The initiative, now operating across 18 states, is upgrading secondary education by renovating 13,000 classrooms, constructing nearly 9,000 water and sanitation facilities, and building 150 new schools in Katsina alone, 75 of which are already open. More than 200,000 girls have completed life-skills courses and 225,000 students have received digital literacy training, supported by scholarships and cash transfers that help keep girls in school. Designed to reach 15 million young people in total, the programme is boosting enrolment, reducing dropout rates, and creating safer, climate-resilient learning environments built with community participation.