GROW STRONG FOUNDATION

What GROW STRONG FOUNDATION does

Grow Strong Foundation (GSF) is a youth-led, child-focused non-governmental organization headquartered in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. Founded in 2017 and registered with Nigeria's Corporate Affairs Commission in 2018, GSF delivers integrated humanitarian programming across five Nigerian states: Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Zamfara, and Sokoto, reaching 400,000+ beneficiaries through 200+ projects since beginning active field operations in 2019. Its service portfolio spans seven core thematic areas: Child Protection, GBV Prevention and Response, Education and Capacity Building, Health and Nutrition, WASH, Livelihoods and Peacebuilding, and Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE). The organization employs approximately 35 staff, over 55% of whom are women, and operates under a Board of Trustees governance model with Nafisa Bukar Tijjani serving as Foundation Chairperson.

GSF's operational model is community-led and field-based, relying on direct delivery through embedded field teams, local volunteers, and partnerships with traditional leaders across 20+ Local Government Areas. The organization uses an integrated, multi-sectoral approach that allows cross-program referrals between protection, education, health, and livelihood services within the same geographic footprint. It does not operate any software platform, proprietary technology, or digital product; its "technology" is fundamentally a community-based humanitarian programming methodology designed for conflict-affected contexts.

As a registered non-profit, GSF is entirely funded by donor grants, institutional partnerships, and charitable donations. It maintains a 100% allocation model reporting 82% of funds directed to social mission programs, 10% to fundraising, and 8% to management and administration. The organization has reported contributing to the domestication of child protection laws and engages in policy advocacy alongside direct service delivery, indicating an intent to influence systemic outcomes beyond individual beneficiary support. No revenue figures, donor names, or financial statements are publicly disclosed.

Name

GROW STRONG FOUNDATION

Legal name

Grow Strong Foundation

Website

https://gsf.org.ng

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Grow Strong Foundation is a youth-led, child-focused Nigerian non-profit delivering integrated humanitarian programs—child protection, GBV response, education, health, WASH, peacebuilding, and EORE—across five conflict-affected states in Northeast and Northwest Nigeria, serving 400,000+ beneficiaries through community-based field operations funded by donor grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian and Community Development Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK), Refugee, Crisis & Humanitarian Education Partnerships (EiE) (EDADALAG), Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE), Refugee, Migration & Displacement Support (BPAGABAH), Cash & Voucher Assistance (CVA) and Emergency Livelihood Support (BPAGAAAJ)

Keywords

• Humanitarian program delivery
• Child protection services
• Gender-based violence response
• Water sanitation hygiene
• Community peacebuilding

Headquarters

HQ city

Maiduguri

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor Funding and Grants: As a non-profit NGO, GSF operates entirely on donor funding, grants, and charitable donations. The organization is publicly funded through partnerships with institutional donors, humanitarian organizations, and individual supporters. Financial transparency is maintained with 100% allocation model showing how donations are distributed across programs, fundraising, and administration.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Grow Strong Foundation delivers integrated humanitarian services across seven thematic programs — Child Protection, GBV Prevention & Response, Education & Capacity Building, Health & Nutrition, Livelihoods & Peacebuilding, WASH, and Explosive Ordnance Risk Education — to vulnerable children, women and girls, internally displaced persons, persons with disabilities, and conflict-affected host communities in Northeast Nigeria. Services are provided free of charge through community-based field teams embedded across five Nigerian states (Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Zamfara, and Sokoto), funded by donor grants and charitable contributions.

Product overview

Grow Strong Foundation operates as a youth-led, child-focused grassroots NGO delivering integrated humanitarian programs across Northeast Nigeria. The organization offers a portfolio of seven core thematic programs: Child Protection, GBV Prevention & Response, Education & Capacity Building, Health & Nutrition, Livelihoods & Peacebuilding, WASH, and Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE). These programs are delivered through community-first, integrated approaches spanning Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Zamfara, and Sokoto states, with over 55% women in the workforce. GSF does not offer a software product; its offerings consist entirely of humanitarian service programs designed to protect vulnerable children, women, and internally displaced persons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Child Protection Humanitarian program providing case management, safe spaces, structured play, recreation, and life skills training for at-risk children affected by conflict, trafficking, child marriage, and displacement in Northeast Nigeria.
• GBV Prevention & Response Survivor-centered humanitarian program delivering confidential case management, psychosocial support, and safe spaces for women and girls at risk of gender-based violence in conflict-affected areas.
• Education & Capacity Building Program restoring access to safe, inclusive, and quality education for displaced children, returnees, and underserved host communities, aligned with Education Cannot Wait (ECW).
• Health & Nutrition Community-based nutrition program delivering prevention, early detection, and treatment services for malnutrition among children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers in conflict settings.
• Livelihoods & Peacebuilding Inclusive peacebuilding and economic empowerment program rebuilding communities through youth-led dialogues, reconciliation activities, and livelihood recovery initiatives.
• WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) Humanitarian program providing safe water systems, sanitation infrastructure, hygiene promotion, and dignity kits to displaced communities and host populations in the BAY states.
• Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) Life-saving risk education program teaching returning communities to recognize and avoid explosive remnants of war through community sessions, radio messaging, and door-to-door outreach.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400K+ lives impacted across Northeast Nigeria
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Plan International Nigeria: Child- and youth-focused humanitarian NGO delivering protection, education, GBV, and livelihoods programming in BAY states; directly comparable in thematic scope and beneficiary cohorts.
• Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Nigeria: IDP-focused humanitarian organization delivering protection, WASH, shelter, education, and livelihoods across Northeast Nigeria — overlapping target populations and programmatic areas.
• Save the Children Nigeria: Implements child protection, education, health, and nutrition programs across Northeast Nigeria, overlapping directly with GSF's integrated humanitarian portfolio and target beneficiary groups (children, IDPs, women and girls).
• CARE Nigeria: Delivers GBV response, women's economic empowerment, food security, and WASH in Northeast Nigeria; comparable women-and-girls focus and integrated humanitarian approach.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC) Nigeria: Major humanitarian operator in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe providing protection, GBV response, health, and education — directly comparable field footprint and integrated service model.
• Search for Common Ground Nigeria: Specializes in peacebuilding and conflict transformation across Nigeria, including Northeast — directly comparable to GSF's peacebuilding, EORE, and community reconciliation programming.
• Street Child Nigeria: Child-focused local NGO operating in Northeast Nigeria on education, child protection, and livelihoods for vulnerable children — comparable grassroots scale and beneficiary cohort.
• Mercy Corps Nigeria: Operates multi-sectoral humanitarian programming (WASH, livelihoods, protection, peacebuilding) in conflict-affected Northeast Nigeria with comparable community-led delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• UNFPA Nigeria: UN agency addressing GBV, reproductive health, and youth empowerment in Northeast Nigeria; comparable GBV-response and women-and-girls programming focus.
• UNICEF Nigeria: UN agency funding and convening child protection, education, nutrition, and WASH response in BAY states; broader mandate and budget but directly overlapping with GSF's thematic areas and donor ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grow-strong-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GROW STRONG FOUNDATION