African Centre for Leadership, Strategy, and Development (CentreLSD), in partnership with Malala Fund, has opened nine new peer learning clubs in Adamawa State, northeast Nigeria.

The nine clubs – three apiece in Song, Numan, and Maiha local government areas (LGAs) – are part of the Community-Led Collective Action for Girls Education (C-CAGE) project in the state.

Available data shows that between 10.2 million and 13.2 million children of primary school age are out of school in Nigeria, 69 percent of these children are in the country’s northern region, and 60 percent of them are girls.

Development Diaries had reported that CentreLSD and Malala Fund teamed up to address the root causes of barriers to girl-child education in the northern state of Adamawa.

Northern Nigeria has one of the world’s highest rates of early marriage, maternal mortality, and lowest rate of female literacy.

The development partners, CentreLSD and Malala Fund, had in 2019 established seven safe spaces in Song, Numan, and Maiha areas of Adamawa. A combined total of 63,161 girls in the LGAs were out of school at the time, according to CentreLSD.

The safe spaces named, in Hausa, Masu Son Ilimi, which translates into English as Lovers of Education, were set up to provide opportunities for girls to engage in several empowerment activities, including the acquisition of basic literacy, numeracy and vocational skills.

Malala Fund Education Champion, Frances Igwilo, said in a statement that Masu Son Ilimi helps girls, including survivors of violence, especially those between the ages of 11 and 20, gain self-confidence, develop leadership skills and become advocates of their rights.

The C-CAGE is a project aimed at strengthening systems and cultural norms that encourage girl-child enrolment and retention in public primary and secondary schools. 

Source: CentreLSD

Photo source: Malala Fund