Work will begin on a new multi-million dollar Girls School in Africa later this year thanks to a huge investment from Madonna.

The school will be built in Malawi, the same country that pop star adopted two-year-old David Banda from eighteen months ago.

According to the singer’s local lawyer, official funding for the project will be confirmed in the next two weeks.

"A task force of four prominent Malawians has already been formed to head the project which will be on the scale of what Oprah Winfrey has in South Africa," Alan Chinula told Reuters.

Winfrey, who has accumulated a billion dollar fortune, recently built a $40million all-girl leadership academy in South Africa.

Madonna's investment plans come on the eve of a court ruling which is expected to grant her full custody of Banda.

Despite conflicting reports, it’s understood that the child’s father has now endorsed the high profile and widely criticised adoption.

(by Jason Gregory)