14th July 2026
“Nigeria, home to one of the world’s largest populations, remains at the center of many challenges. Yet it is also home to an extraordinary community of humanitarian actors committed to finding solutions and driving change.
That is why HX Abuja is so important.
The need for stronger coordination among humanitarian actors has never been greater. No single organisation can address the scale of today’s challenges alone. When we coordinate effectively, we reduce duplication, use resources more efficiently, amplify local leadership, and ensure that assistance reaches those who need it most.” – Duncan Harvey, Country Director Save the Children Nigeria
In this special episode of Fresh Humanitarian Perspectives, Nwando Okoh HLA Comms and Marketing Lead records live from #HXAbuja in conversation with truly inspiring HX Abuja participants Raquel Kasham Daniel, Maryam Hassan Gambo, Stephen Olushola Oladepo, David Habba, Dr Biobele Davidson, Rukaiya Ibrahim and Philip Ali Yidawi.
The 7 share their reflections on the first HX in Nigeria – from the conversations held to the expected impact on the collective response in Nigeria.
This episode is available on Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Buzzsprout and more
“It is in spaces like this we get inspiration, this is where we build networks, this is where we connect to others that ultimately translates to improvement for the lives of others because the networks that we build in these kinds of spaces help us to mobilise resources for instance, or co-create or plan together and it becomes improvement for people on the field or in the communities.” – David Habba
On July 7 and 8, 2026, over 100 humanitarians from across Nigeria convened for Humanitarian Xchange Abuja. The room included technical experts, community organisations, researchers, local, national and international actors all responding to a broad spectrum of humanitarian crises in Nigeria from Adamawa to Zamfara.
Watch highlights from HX Abuja
Some key topics covered at HX Abuja included localisation, access to data, innovation, humanitarian–development–peace Nexus, safety and security, shifting power, capacity sharing, stabilisation and peace, climate-migration nexus, youth leadership, advocacy and finance, accountability, safeguarding and more.
HX Abuja was organised by Save the Children Nigeria and Humanitarian Leadership Academy with support from Google.org
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The views and opinions expressed in our podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of their organisations.
Speakers
Raquel Kasham Daniel is a development practitioner, social entrepreneur, and advocate for education, gender equality, and youth empowerment. She is the Executive Director of Beyond the Classroom Foundation, a nonprofit organisation that has impacted thousands of children and young people across Nigeria through education, child protection, girls’ empowerment, and community development initiatives.
With over a decade of experience working with vulnerable communities, including internally displaced persons and underserved populations, Raquel has led and supported programs focused on education access, safeguarding, menstrual health, and youth leadership. She is also the creator of Voluserve, a platform that promotes volunteering as a pathway to learning, impact, and experience.
Maryam Hassan Gambo is the Executive Director of the Child Protection and Women Empowerment Initiative (CPWEI), a women-led Nigerian NGO delivering protection, education, livelihoods, and peacebuilding programming across Nigeria’s BAY States. She also serves as Director of Governance at WOLNY and sits on the Nigeria Protection Sector Strategic Advisory Group (SAG). A doctoral candidate in Educational Psychology, she is a strong advocate for localisation and women’s leadership in the humanitarian sector, and recently spoke at Humanitarian Xchange (HX) Abuja 2026.
Stephen Olushola Oladepo is a humanitarian practitioner, organisational strategist, and youth and women’s empowerment advocate with over five years of experience in grants management, compliance, and programme design across humanitarian and development contexts. He holds a Masters degree in Public Administration, strengthening his expertise in governance, policy, and institutional development.
His work focuses on advancing localisation, child protection, education in emergencies, menstrual health and dignity, and gender-responsive programming, with a strong commitment to positioning local actors at the center of sustainable and effective humanitarian response. Stephen has led and contributed to multi-sectoral initiatives across Northeast Nigeria, strengthening youth-led coordination, institutional capacity, and inclusive development systems. He has spearheaded strategic interventions that empower young women, expand access to quality education for conflict-affected and out-of-school children, and amplify youth leadership in humanitarian action.
He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Rise to Inspire Africa Initiative, leads the communications team for the #ChangeTheCode campaign, and chairs the Community Engagement, Accountability, and Localization Working Group under the Localisation Technical Review Committee. He is a member of the Prevention Initiative Advisory Group and the Technical Focal Person of the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action.
A systems and process thinker, Stephen is skilled in nonprofit management, policymaking, civic engagement, youth development, and capacity strengthening. He is deeply committed to safeguarding and promoting safe, accountable, and inclusive organisational practices, and is passionate about bridging policy, practice, and partnerships to advance locally led development and sustainable impact in complex and fragile settings.
David Habba is Humanitarian Development and Peace Building professional with nearly two decades of experience across Nigeria and beyond. He is passionate about localisation, supporting to build the capacities and agencies of local organisations including Communities to effectively participate in the Humanitarian space. David is the Humanitarian and Resilience Specialist at ActionAid Nigeria.
Philip Ali Yidawi is the Head of Operations at Chabash Development and Health Initiative (CDHI), a Nigerian humanitarian and development organization. He holds a Master’s degree in Disaster Management and has over 10 years of experience in the humanitarian sector, working across diverse contexts in operations management, program support, coordination, and organisational development. Throughout his career, he has provided leadership in strengthening organisational systems, ensuring compliance, supporting program implementation, and fostering partnerships that contribute to effective humanitarian and development interventions. He is passionate about operational excellence, capacity building, and improving the impact of humanitarian actions on vulnerable communities.
Rukaiya Ibrahim is an education and international development professional with over a decade of experience in education systems strengthening, policy advocacy, humanitarian response, and strategic partnership development. She holds a Master’s degree in Education and a Master’s degree in Development Studies, bringing a strong interdisciplinary perspective to advancing equitable and sustainable development.
She currently serves as the Executive Director of Zaman Lafiya Initiative for Gender Transformation, Education and Community Development, a women-governed, women-led, and girls & women-focused organisation dedicated to improving access to quality education for vulnerable children while advancing the protection, inclusion, and empowerment of women and girls. Through community-led approaches, the organisation works to prevent Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV), Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), while promoting climate-friendly livelihoods, sustainable economic opportunities for women and girl survivors, and community resilience.
Throughout her career, Rukaiya has worked closely with government institutions, development partners, civil society organisations, and local communities to strengthen public education systems and expand opportunities for vulnerable persons, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected settings across Northeast Nigeria. She is passionate about evidence-driven policy, systems transformation, girls’ education, education in emergencies, and collaborative leadership that delivers lasting impact for communities. Contact Rukaiya
Dr Biobele Davidson leads the Strengthening Healthcare Systems. She doubles as the Administrative Lead at BudgIT- a civic organisation that applies technology to intersect citizen engagement with institutional improvement to facilitate societal change. Biobele is a medical doctor with over 10 years of progressive experience in Clinical practice, INGO, and the United Nations. Biobele’s background is in medicine, public health, and child and adolescent care, with an advanced degree in program management and global mental health.
Biobele’s experience spans strengthening healthcare systems and health promotion, human development, community engagement and development, and citizen engagement to foster accountability and transparency. She has led several development projects with international organisations. Biobele is passionate about young people and is committed to contributing positively to building their capacities. She works closely with government institutions, development partners, civil society organisations, and local communities to strengthen public systems and expand opportunities for vulnerable persons, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected settings across Nigeria. She is passionate about evidence-driven policy, systems transformation, girls’ and women’s empowerment, maternal health, malnutrition, early childhood development, education in emergencies, and collaborative leadership that delivers lasting impact for communities.
