Our History
The background of the Nigerian Girl Guides Association.
The development of the girl child occupies the central point in global discourse seeing the unlimited level of capacity a girl can explore given the opportunity. Girl guiding is one important way girls and young women are given great opportunities to develop their potentials for the benefit of adding value to society.
The Nigerian Girl Guides Association is the largest all-female, international and voluntary Organization in Nigeria appropriately motivating and raising the “girl child” to discover her fullest potential and become a responsible citizen. Established on 16th September 1919, our diverse Movement represents over 118, 642 members in 30 States of the Federation.
NGGA is a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) the apex Movement dedicated to girls and young women in the world. Our diverse Movement represents ten million girls and young women from over 150 countries.
The Association is led by the Chief Commissioner and assisted by three Deputy Chief Commissioners who oversee activities in the 30 States. For easy administration, the Association is divided into three Zones namely; Zone A (South East and South-South States) Zone B (South West) and Zone C (Northern States).
NGGA empowers girls (as young as 5years) and young women to speak out and take action to influence others through leadership development, community action, peer education and advocacy to bring about positive change in their communities. We provide adult education programs to older women in partnership with government ministries, agencies and departments also provide entrepreneurial skill development opportunities. Our programs reach out to girls and young women in rural hard-to-reach communities, girls with special needs, Internally Displaced Persons and girls in refugee camps.
The Nigerian Girl Guides Association (NGGA) has a robust curriculum comprising diverse activities such as:
- “Stop the Violence” project which builds the capacity of leaders and empowers girls to speak up and take action against all forms of physical, emotional and psychological issues of violence in the communities.
- Plastic Tide Turners Project empowers girls and young women as agents of change to advocate and take the lead in the elimination of single plastic use.
- Free Being Me and Action on Body Confidence programme builds self-esteem, body confidence and enables them to take action against all forms of injustices.
- Menstrual hygiene management programme empowers girls to be able to manage their period hygienically, safely and with confidence, in order to improve their state of health.
Guiding in Nigeria used to be school-based but has grown to reach out to more diversified and inclusive girls and young women from different professions, religions, institutions, communities etc.
