No fewer than 500 delegates from 30 African nations are expected to gather in Nigeria this October for the 2025 Pan-African Humanitarian Leadership Award (TPAHLA) ceremony, organisers have confirmed.

 

Francis Origa, Registrar of the Institute for Humanitarian Studies and Social Development (IHSD) and Chair of the TPAHLA 2025 Planning Committee, made the announcement on Friday in Abuja during an event to commemorate 2025 World Refugee Day.

 

Themed “Honouring Heroes – Forging Forward,” this year’s TPAHLA event will run from October 15 to 19 and aims to celebrate individuals and organisations driving humanitarian change across the continent.

 

“Nominate the courageous, the committed, the innovative. Those driving peace, dignity, resilience, and impact across our continent,” Origa urged.

 

 

 

He called on governments, NGOs, private sector leaders, academic institutions, and individuals to submit nominations for deserving humanitarian leaders.

 

A Platform to Empower Changemakers

 

Origa emphasized that TPAHLA was created not only to honour exceptional humanitarian leadership but also to amplify and empower the efforts of those working to make lasting change in Africa’s most vulnerable communities.

 

“TPAHLA was established to celebrate these very leaders, to amplify their work, and to empower them to do even more,” he said.

 

 

 

Refugee Day: A Call for Renewed Action

 

Speaking on the 2025 World Refugee Day (celebrated globally on June 20), Origa stressed the importance of supporting displaced persons, describing the day as one that embodies the compassion and resilience central to both IHSD and TPAHLA’s missions.

 

He noted that Africa continues to grapple with widespread insecurity, displacement, hunger, and marginalisation, and reiterated the need to keep humanitarian response at the forefront of continental development.

 

“This is not merely a commemoration; it is a call to renewed action. The courage and resilience of displaced persons continue to inspire us all,” he stated.

 

 

 

Honouring the Unsung Heroes

 

Origa further noted that across Africa, individuals and organisations have continued to champion the welfare of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), and stressed the need to recognise and honour these contributions.

 

This year’s World Refugee Day is themed “Solidarity with Refugees: A Call to Action for Inclusion,” focusing on unity, support, and collective responsibility in the face of global displacement challenges.