Festus Abigail is empowering Nigerian girls through menstrual health, digital skills, access to education, and programs promoting economic independence.
Festus Abigail has made it her mission to join Nigeria’s fight against period poverty and digital exclusion. In August 2020, she launched FAB Treasure Foundation to empower girls and women across Nigeria with the tools, knowledge, and confidence for growth. Growing up, Abigail experienced the shame, confusion, and silence that often surround menstruation in African homes. She also once resisted learning digital skills, believing tech was out of reach. But gaining that knowledge changed her life, and now she is helping thousands of girls and women do the same.
Since its founding, the foundation has reached over 7,000 girls and women, focusing on four main areas – menstrual health, digital inclusion, education support, and economic empowerment.
FAB Treasure Foundation
FAB Treasure Foundation is a Nigerian non-governmental organisation focused on educating and empowering girls and women, particularly through menstrual health education, digital inclusion, and entrepreneurial development
One of its most impactful programs is “PAD with FAB”, which addresses period poverty. The foundation educates girls about menstrual hygiene, distributes sanitary products (including reusable pads and period underwear), and works to reduce stigma. On the International Day of Education for the Girl Child, FAB reached over 300 girls, including visually impaired students at a school in Abuja, with sanitary products and health education. They have also extended this work to internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and special-needs schools, reinforcing their message that no girl should be left behind because of her biology.
While tackling menstrual health, the foundation also recognised that economic empowerment today requires digital literacy. Through its Digital Inclusion for Girls program, FAB runs training in underserved secondary schools, teaching basic computer skills, coding, robotics, and blockchain technology. These programs aim to prepare girls in rural areas for a digital economy.
In addition, FAB runs Back-to-School Initiatives to improve school retention. The foundation provides pupils, particularly girls, with writing materials, textbooks, uniforms, and footwear.
FAB also focuses on women who have aged out of the school system but still need support. Through its Entrepreneurial Development and Financial Literacy programs, the foundation trains low-income women, especially in IDP camps to start and grow small businesses. These women are now earning income, supporting their children, and building sustainable livelihoods.
Since its inception, more than 4,000 women and girls have received menstrual health education and free sanitary pads through the foundation’s outreach. Additionally, more than 2,000 children have been supported with free study materials to help them stay in school. Over 1,000 girls have also been trained in digital literacy, including basic computer skills and advanced technologies like coding, robotics, and blockchain. These programs have collectively reached 20 secondary schools and impacted at least 3 communities across Nigeria.
To scale its impact, FAB has formed partnerships with organisations like ActionAid Nigeria, Cynthia Okeke Foundation, and Modibodi West Africa. These collaborations help distribute more resources and amplify advocacy efforts, including pushing for free sanitary pads in public schools and the removal of taxes on menstrual products. They also campaign for menstrual hygiene education to be included in Nigeria’s school curriculum.
Festus Abigail’s goal for FAB Treasure Foundation is to see a Nigeria where menstruation is normalised, no girl is out of school because of her period, and young women are digitally and economically empowered to build lives they choose by 2030.
