Empowering a Generation: Africa CEO Unveils '10 Million African Girls' Initiative

The President & CEO of Junior Achievement (JA) Africa, Simi Nwogugu has launched a transformative initiative aimed at equipping ten million girls across the continent with vital entrepreneurship, leadership, and advocacy skills. The goal is to foster thriving, sustainable communities, eradicate extreme poverty, and combat gender-based violence in sub-Saharan Africa.

The initiative, known as the 10 Million African Girls (10MAG) campaign, serves as a rallying cry for governments, corporations, foundations, and civil society organizations to collaborate with JA Africa. By improving access to quality education and expanding economic opportunities, 10MAG seeks to uplift girls and young women in marginalized communities across Africa.

This campaign tackles pressing challenges that girls and young women face, such as high rates of child marriage and adolescent births, particularly in West and Central Africa. Only 33% of girls in these regions complete high school, and in some areas, up to 30% are married before turning 14. Additionally, despite completing their education and launching businesses, young women struggle to secure funding—women-led startups in Africa received just 2% of venture capital funding in 2024.

The campaign launch coincided with the graduation of 52 girls from seven African nations—Eswatini, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe—who participated in the LEAD Camp in Accra during early March. LEAD, which stands for Leadership, Empowerment, Achievement, and Development, is a week-long program designed to equip high-achieving girls with the tools to lead in their communities and beyond. Sponsored by Delta Air Lines, the camp featured female volunteers from the airline and accomplished women from various industries, serving as role models and reinforcing JA Africa’s mission to shape a future of empowered and skilled young women.

"We are proud to support the LEAD Camp and the 10MAG Campaign, as they represent a huge step toward empowering young girls across Africa," said Tad Hutcheson, Managing Director –Community Engagement, Delta Air Lines.

Empowering Young Women through Education and Opportunity

10MAG, conceived by Simi Nwogugu as part of her Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN) fellowship, is designed to raise funding and support for multiple programs aimed at empowering young girls and women. In addition to JA programs, the campaign will also support programming from other non-profit organizations serving marginalized girls across Africa. The official launch of the 10MAG campaign took place on March 8, 2025, in Accra, Ghana, alongside a special certification ceremony inducting the LEAD Camp girls as the inaugural cohort of the 10MAG network - a community that will provide them with continuous mentorship, resources, and opportunities to advance their leadership and entrepreneurship journeys.

“Africa cannot achieve its full potential if half of its youth population is denied access to quality education and economic participation opportunities,” said Simi Nwogugu. “The goal of the 10MAG campaign is to galvanize action to equip our young women with the tools they need to drive economic growth and raise themselves and their communities out of poverty. They will also be in leadership positions that enable them to build social safety nets for the girls coming behind them. We invite all corporations, governments,NGOs and individuals who share this vision to join us in developing the Africa of our dreams, where all young people, regardless of gender, can achieve their full potential.”

For more information about #10MAG and how to get involved, visit www.10mag.org.