The streets of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State and the epicentre of Nigeria’s humanitarian crises, hum with resilience. Here, the aftermath of conflict and displacement is woven into the fabric of daily life. For HumAngle, telling the stories of the country’s northeastern region and elsewhere isn’t just about breaking news—it’s about bearing witness. 

With just five years of existence, HumAngle has rapidly established itself as Africa’s flagship humanitarian journalism platform, redefining how conflict and its fallouts are reported. We look ahead with a bold vision for the next five years: to revolutionise the field by harnessing the power of technology, in-depth investigation, and advocacy to amplify unheard voices across the world.

From the shallow waters of the Lake Chad Basin to the rugged forests of Zamfara in northwestern Nigeria, our journalists have chronicled the shifting nature of conflict. The battlefields are evolving. They are no longer just defined by insurgent groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP but also by climate-induced resource wars, criminal networks, and emerging extremist factions like the Lakurawa.

In Zamfara alone, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced in just a few years. Yet, their stories of struggle and resilience are often buried beneath statistics. For us at HumAngle, we refuse to let these human experiences fade into silence. By deploying reporters directly into these communities, we uncover the unfiltered narratives that many mainstream media often overlook.

But conflicts don’t stop at borders. The violence plaguing North West Nigeria is rippling across the wider Sahel, a region where porous borders allow arms, fighters, and ideologies to flow unchecked. HumAngle is piecing together this complex web through investigative transnational collaborations across West Africa, revealing how instability in one country fosters problems in another.

Technology meets humanity

In HumAngle’s newsroom, a new era of journalism is taking shape. Amidst the familiar clatter of keyboards and reporters’ hushed conversations with sources, a fusion of innovation and storytelling unfolds. While engineers are creating AI-driven tools for analysing conflict trends, designers are crafting immersive virtual reality (VR) experiences that transport audiences to the heart of the story, and analysts are enhancing the HumAngle Tracker with dashboards incorporating Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and open-source intelligence tools.

These are not merely tech gimmicks. They are lifelines. Imagine a humanitarian worker in Zamfara or Borno scrolling through an interactive conflict map, pinpointing the safest routes to ply. Or a global policymaker, donning a VR headset in Geneva and stepping into a displacement camp in Borno to witness the dire conditions people endure.

In the coming years, HumAngle will push further into extended reality (XR), artificial intelligence, and open-source intelligence (OSINT) in unprecedented ways. This is not only to enhance storytelling but also to provide humanitarian workers, policymakers, and conflict reporters with essential tools that have the potential to save lives.

Journalism that drives change

Of course, a compelling story has the power to inspire, but it is the impact that truly matters. Recognising this, we’re transcending traditional journalism by transforming our reporting into actionable change. With HumAngle Foundation serving as our organisation’s advocacy arm, we translate in-depth reporting into policy recommendations, grassroots action, and sustainable solutions.

We are committed not just to breaking news but also to breaking the cycles of violence and systemic failures of governance at all levels. Through collaboration with policymakers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and impacted communities, HumAngle seeks to transform its journalism into a catalyst for change. Imagine an investigative series on missing aid funds leading to government reforms or an exposé on forced displacement prompting international intervention.

Navigating journalism’s financial crisis

As we make these revolutionary changes, we understand that truth comes at a cost. But in a world where journalism is under financial siege, HumAngle is thinking ahead. Diversification is key, but challenging as well. Beyond traditional funding, the organisation is developing commercial services that align with its mission, including security research, VR content production, and intelligence analysis.

These services aren’t just revenue streams but extensions of HumAngle’s expertise, employing the same deep investigative skills that uncover hidden networks of armed groups and corruption in the humanitarian and security sectors. The same VR technology that immerses audiences in crises can be used to train first responders and community medical workers.

To increase financial backing and public interest in our work, we will step up our appeal to our readers and the general public. We will also continue to push our brand’s visibility through partnerships and the sale of merchandise.

This is not just journalism. This is a movement—one that blends technology, human empathy, and unwavering commitment to the truth. As Africa’s complex crises evolve, so must how we tell its stories. And HumAngle is leading that transformation, ensuring that displaced families, marginalised communities, and unheard voices are amplified and heard globally. 

We are bringing the world closer to its most vulnerable populations!