Ruhamah Ifere empowers youth and women through technology, advocacy, peacebuilding, and gender equality initiatives.
Ruhamah Ifere is a Nigerian gender equality activist, legal professional, women’s empowerment coach, and community peacebuilder who has spent the past seven years using law, technology, and grassroots advocacy to combat misinformation, support survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, and empower African youth, especially girls. With a background in law (LL.B), she transitioned from traditional legal practice to launch multiple initiatives at the intersection of social justice, technological innovation, and youth development.
One of her most impactful ventures is Trully Verify Africa, a social enterprise that fights misinformation and disinformation through media and information literacy programmes. The initiative employs artificial intelligence to teach young people how to verify facts, identify fake news, and navigate the digital world responsibly. This project has helped foster digital resilience among African youth, and her innovative use of technology earned her recognition as one of the Top 10 Tech Innovators in Africa by the EU Youth Sounding Board (Nigeria & Malawi).
Alongside her digital initiatives, Ruhama Ifere founded The Youth Evolve, an organisation dedicated to promoting the inclusion of girls and young women in community leadership while also speaking out against sexual and gender-based violence.
Through this platform, she organises empowerment programmes, advocacy campaigns, and educational outreach, particularly targeting schools and underserved communities. Her team has conducted gender equality tours in secondary schools and skills acquisition programmes that have trained and empowered over 100 women in local communities.
She is also the lead activist behind the Sexual Offences Watch Observers (SOWO) Project, which has reached over 5,000 young people across Nigeria. The project provides safe spaces and learning environments where youth are encouraged to challenge harmful gender norms, understand consent, speak out against SGBV, and access support systems. Through SOWO, Ifere has built reporting pathways and forged strategic partnerships with organisations such as the Mirabel Centre, a leading Sexual Assault Referral Centre.
Beyond founding initiatives, Ruhamah Ifere holds key leadership and mentorship roles. As President of the Rotary Club Isolo in Lagos State, she oversees various community service and youth empowerment projects. She also serves as a Community Ambassador for Impact Toolbox, where she recruits, mentors, and provides technical support to young changemakers, helping them access social enterprise incubation programmes and grow their projects sustainably.
The changemaker’s influence extends to numerous national and global networks, including the Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors Network, World Beyond War, Nigeria Youth for Peace, and the Institute of Economics and Peace, where she contributes to peacebuilding and policy advocacy efforts aimed at elevating youth and women’s voices in governance.
Ruhamah Ifere has also been recognised with awards such as the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Award, listed among the Top 25 Females in Peacebuilding by Galaxy4Peace, and acknowledged as one of the Top Young Africans by Opportunities Hub.
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