From Edirin Robinson, in Kaduna
Education as a Vaccine (EVA) has kicked off the second phase of the Malala Project — Fostering Accountability for Girls’ Education — to bridge the gap between educational policy and classroom reality in Kaduna State.
The initiative is designed to transform schoolgirls from passive students into active advocates who can challenge systemic barriers and demand transparency in how education funds are spent.
Despite Kaduna State consistently allocating approximately 25–26% of its annual budget to education—meeting or exceeding UNESCO standards—many public schools continue to lack basic infrastructure.
The Project seeks to address this issue by empowering the girls most affected by these shortages to speak directly to power.
A key pillar of the Malala Project is budget literacy. Mercy Abalaku, Senior Program Officer at EVA, explained that while the state allocates record-breaking sums to education, the impact is often lost before it reaches the pupils, leaving Kaduna with a large number of out-of-school children.
”We are informing these girls that they are part of the budget process. They need to know the planning, execution, and approval stages so they can ask the right questions of the government. We link them to decision-makers and accountability groups so they can share their lived experiences.”
The project spans three years and focuses on the local government areas of Igabi, Sabongari, and Kachia. These areas were selected based on high populations and alarming out-of-school children statistics.
During a media tour organized by EVA to schools in the Rigachikun area, the stark reality of the infrastructure gap was on full display. At GSS NDC and Jalo Model Primary School in Rigachikun, the sheer volume of students has overwhelmed the existing facilities.
Hauwa’u Yahya, a student who dreams of becoming a medical doctor, described a learning environment defined by discomfort. In her school of over 5,000 children, there are four blocks of restrooms, forcing some into the indignity of open defecation, while others visit nearby houses to ease themselves.
”We are about 150 students in one class. When the teacher asks for silence, one side keeps quiet, while the other starts making noise. Our teacher will be complaining of headaches. Those sitting at the back sometimes don’t know what is happening during lessons.”
Beyond overcrowding, the girls lamented the shortage of chairs, desks, and classrooms, broken doors, and the lack of electricity to power the boreholes that provide clean drinking water. The worst was the unavailability of washrooms.
The challenges are not limited to the girls’ comfort but extend to their safety and tools for the future. Zakari Isa Mohamed, a Head Teacher at one of the visited schools, noted that while enrollment has doubled due to free feeding programs, security remains an issue.
“Our borehole is broken. There’s no light in the school. So, we have this generator we have been using, but it was burglarized, too. Recently, our computer room was burgled. They stole our inverter and almost everything inside,” Mohamed revealed.
He added that, despite its size, the school relies on a single security guard per duty, provided by the School Management Committee (SBMC), who is often unpaid. Without a generator or electricity, the school’s borehole is useless, leaving 5,000 children without water.
While waiting for the government to play its part, the school makes an effort to prevent harassment and bullying by educating the girls on how to protect themselves from harm and encouraging students to report cases of intimidation for immediate action.
“Actually, we’ve not had any case of bullying or intimidation because we do take serious measures against that. And every Wednesday, we hold gender assemblies where the girls are separated. They have been tutored on all these kinds of things. If there’s any problem, we encourage them to report, so that we take action on time,” Zakari explained.
The advocacy also turned toward the community. Many girls are still pulled from school due to poverty, forced into hawking, or pressured into early marriage. Some parents are still in fear of the attacks on schools, preferring their girls to stay home.
Hauwa’u believes that, with education, nothing is impossible. “If you allow children to learn, they will help you in ways you never imagined. If you marry them off early, they may only suffer.”
To ensure the project is sustained, EVA is building the capacity of local accountability mechanisms, including the Community Development Charter (CDC) and Open Government Partnership (OGP), alongside traditional and youth leaders to carry on the campaigns.
As the Malala Project continues, the goal remains clear: ensuring that the 26% education budget is not just a number on a page, but a reality reflected in school classrooms, materials, and WASH facilities made available for every girl in Kaduna State. It
