About Us
Learn more about our non-profit organization and our mission to make a positive impact on the world through our charitable initiatives
Making the world a better place, for every girl.
Alimat Care Foundation (ACF) is a youth-led, women's rights non-governmental organization advancing the rights, safety, and leadership of girls and young women in Northeast Nigeria. Established in 2020 and formally registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission in 2022, ACF works in underserved and crisis-affected communities where gender inequality, conflict, and poverty intersect.
ACF implements locally led, evidence-based programmes that expand access to quality education, prevent gender-based violence, strengthen sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), build climate-resilient livelihoods, and promote economic empowerment. Guided by Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) principles, the organisation ensures girls and communities drive and shape programme decisions.
We work in close partnership with community structures, civil society networks, and government institutions to shift harmful norms, strengthen systems, and amplify girls’ voices in decision-making spaces.
Our Mission
To advance the rights, safety, and leadership of girls and young women by expanding access to education, health, protection, and economic opportunities enabling them to shape decisions, transform social norms, and drive lasting change in their communities.
Our Vision
A just and inclusive society where girls and young women are safe, educated, economically empowered, and actively leading social, economic, and policy change.
Alimat care foundation
Our History
Alimat Care Foundation (ACF) is a youth-led, women’s right non-governmental organization based in Northeast Nigeria that was conceived out of a deep concern for the persistent inequalities and hardships faced by girls and women in conflict-affected and underserved communities. It was founded around 2020 and officially registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in 2022 as a legal entity dedicated to advancing the rights, safety, and leadership of girls and young women in Nigeria.
The core motivation for establishing ACF was a recognition that structural barriers such as limited access to education, gender-based violence (GBV), lack of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information, climate-induced vulnerabilities, and socio-economic marginalization conspire to constrain the development of girls and young women, and future opportunities across the region.
Context
To understand why ACF’s mission took shape, it’s essential to look at the backdrop of protracted humanitarian crises in Northeast Nigeria—a region disproportionately affected by armed conflict, displacement, economic collapse, and climate stressors.
Since the early 2010s, the insurgency led by Boko Haram and affiliated armed groups has devastated large parts of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States. This conflict has caused widespread violence, abductions, and destruction of infrastructure, forcing millions of people from their homes and disrupting education, livelihoods, and community stability.
As a result, women and girls are often among the most affected populations, facing heightened risks of sexual violence, exploitation, forced marriage, and other forms of abuse. Schools and health services in rural and conflict-affected areas have been rendered inaccessible or unsafe while entire communities have been left without adequate access to affordable quality education, deepening cycles of poverty and exclusion for girls.
Alimat Care Foundation situates itself not merely as a humanitarian actor but as a locally rooted response to the multidimensional crises confronting young women and girls in Northeast Nigeria. While other actors address specific issues, ACF employs a wholistic approach that focuses on sustainable empowerment, rights advocacy, resilience building, and community transformation, ensuring that girls are not left behind as communities rebuild and recover.
ACF was thus established at the intersection of urgent need and grassroots commitment to redress the systemic and perversive exclusion of girls and women in Northeast Nigeria.
- Our Core Values
- Accountability to Girls and Young Women: Ensuring programmes reflect their priorities and rights.
- Community-Led Impact: Co-creation with caregivers, leaders, and local institutions.
- Equity and Inclusion: Intentional focus on the most marginalised, including girls with disabilities, out-of-school girls, and those affected by conflict
- Sustainability: Strengthening systems and community ownership for lasting change.
- Evidence and Learning: Data-driven program improvement and adaptation.
What We Do
Our Strategic Approach
ACF applies a structured, systemic, and community-rooted
approach inspired by global best practices.
RIGHTS-BASED PROGRAMMING
We view women and girls as rights-holders, not beneficiaries, empowering them to claim, defend, and exercise their rights.
SYSTEMS STRENGTHENING
We work with government structures, schools, health facilities, and local networks to improve policies, accountability systems, and service delivery.
INCLUSIVE GESI-CENTRED PROGRAMMING
Intentional focus on the most marginalised groups; girls in rural areas, survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
ACF Board Members
Muhammad Sani Umar – Chairman
Muhammad Sani Umar, M.Sc. is a Medical Laboratory Scientist with over 30 years of experience in healthcare leadership. He is Founder/CEO of Optimum Clinic and leads community health initiatives. As Chairman, Board of Trustees of Alimat Care Foundation, he provides strategic leadership in public health and community development.
Hatonopwa Kenan – Secretary
Hatonopwa Kenan is a humanitarian leader with experience in protection, gender equality, and GBV work. She has served in senior roles, improving governance, safeguarding, and partner systems. As Secretary of the Board of Trustees of Alimat Care Foundation, she supports clear, accountable, and mission-focused leadership.
CHARITY ANAJA – Board Member
Charity Ojobgane Anaja is a Gender and Governance Specialist with over 15 years of experience in women’s rights, child protection, and public health work. She has led advocacy, policy, and civic programs across Nigeria. As a Board Member of Alimat Care Foundation, she provides guidance on gender, governance, and community programs.
Khalid Idris – Board Member
Khalid Idris is a public health and project lead with over nine years of experience supporting health programs across Nigeria. He works on maternal and child health, HIV prevention, and service quality, supporting donor-funded projects with state health agencies. As a Board Member of Alimat Care Foundation, he contributes skills in coordination, training, and data-driven planning.
Dr. Abdulazeez Gimba – Board Member
Dr. Abdulazeez Gimba Ndako is a financial consultant with over ten years of experience in banking, audit, tax, and financial management. He leads Obazeez Financial Consulting, providing accounting, compliance, and risk support. As a Board Member of Alimat Care Foundation, he strengthens financial oversight, accountability, and good governance.
Dr. Jiddere Musa Kaibo – Board Member
Dr. Jiddere Musa Kaibo is an education leader and gender advocate with over 30 years of experience in teacher education and policy reform. She serves at the Federal College of Education, Yola, and is National President of FAWE Nigeria. As a Board Member of Alimat Care Foundation, she provides guidance in education policy, gender equity, and institutional leadership.
