Poverty remains the most important factor for determining a girl-child’s access to education. Studies constantly reinforce that girls who face multiple disadvantages – such as low family income, living in remote or undeserved locations, disability or belonging to a minority group – are farthest behind in terms of access to and completion of education.

In order to contribute to the reduction of high rates of out of school girls in Nigeria, the Purple Girl Foundation was set up to address some of these issues through its four-way focus – provision of tuition, financial education requirements, health insurance and peer learning/character development sessions. As such, the Foundation’s main emphasis is on providing these educational support to female children who face any of the life’s challenges of low family income, disability or parent disability, loss of one or both parents, belonging to a minority group or living in violent-prone/undeserved locations; in order to position them for better opportunities and prospects in life.

The Purple Girl Foundation was launched on Wednesday, July 11, 2018 at the Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island Lagos. The event attracted dignitaries who are passionate about the promotion of girl-child education such as the wife of the Senate President who also founded the Wellbeing Foundation Africa; Mrs. Toyin Saraki, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State and Commissioner for Education; Dr. Idiat Adebule, and Hajiya Aisha Babangida; the Chairperson of the Better life Programme for African Rural Women.

There was also a cross-section of private sector representatives such as the Chairman of Troyka Holdings; Biodun Shobanjo, Chairman of Vetiva Fund Managers Limited; Chuka Eseka, Managing Director of Coronation Trustees Limited; Mrs. Oghogho Osula, as well as NGOs/Embassy representations from Dangote Foundation, German Consulate and the entertainment industry, amongst others.