This is what Black excellence can look like in action.
Simi Nwogugu, a daughter of Nigeria and a force in global youth empowerment, has just launched one of the most ambitious campaigns in the history of African girlhood. The 10 Million African Girls campaign, known as 10MAG, is a continent-wide effort to support the development of ten million girls with leadership skills, business tools, and the confidence to take up space, build wealth, and work toward breaking generational cycles of poverty.
Launched in March 2025 in Accra, Ghana, 10MAG is not just a campaign. It is a movement. It is a declaration that Black girls are worthy of investment, worthy of opportunity, and worthy of a future filled with power and purpose. It is a reminder that when we center Black girls, there is significant potential to shift the world.
Simi Nwogugu knows this firsthand. As the CEO of JA Africa, she has spent more than two decades working to empower youth across 23 countries. Under her leadership, the organization currently reaches over one million young people annually. She is a Harvard MBA, a mother, a visionary, and a proud African woman who understands that true legacy is often reflected through meaningful impact.
With 10MAG, she is creating a blueprint for systemic transformation. The campaign focuses on four key pillars: entrepreneurship, leadership, advocacy, and climate awareness. Girls participating in 10MAG are not only learning how to run businesses. They are also encouraged to develop skills that enable them to lead movements, influence policy, and become builders of their communities.
The campaign’s first 52 graduates completed the LEAD Camp earlier this year. These girls came from countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Eswatini, South Africa, and Zambia. They received mentorship from industry leaders, participated in workshops, and joined a network of sisters who will walk alongside them for years to come.
Black girls across the world are watching. From Johannesburg to Chicago, Lagos to Atlanta, this campaign resonates deeply. It represents what so many of us have long believed: when Black women lead, there is often collective uplift.
In Africa, the stakes are high. Rates of child marriage and adolescent pregnancy remain alarming. Girls are often pulled from school too early and are rarely given the tools or support to dream big. Even those who finish their education face uphill battles in accessing capital or leadership roles. In 2024, only two percent of venture funding in Africa went to women-led startups.
10MAG confronts these realities with strategy and soul. It invites us all to step up. Whether you are in the diaspora looking to give back, a Black-owned business searching for a cause to support, or an everyday person who simply believes in the power of girls, there is a place for you in this movement.
Simi Nwogugu’s leadership is what happens when brilliance meets service. She has turned her own success into a platform to uplift others. Her programs continue to reach girls in even the most underserved communities, including during conflict and health crises. She has integrated climate education and sustainability into JA Africa’s programming, preparing girls to lead in industries of the future.
She is not just raising leaders. She is reshaping what leadership can look like.
10MAG is a cultural moment. It is a celebration of Black girl magic rooted in African soil. It is also a powerful call to action. The campaign reminds us that the solutions we seek are already within our communities. They live in the dreams and determination of the next generation of girls.
This is the future. A future led by girls who know their power. A future made possible by women like Simi Nwogugu, who challenge existing norms and refuse to accept the status quo. A future where the phrase Black excellence is not just said, it is lived.