BY: ABDULKADIR M LAWAN, AUGUST 10, 2026/ 03:32PM

In a state still grappling with displacement and poverty, the Ali Tallafi Foundation is rewriting how charity reaches the people who need it most: by putting their stories directly on social media.

Ali Tallafi, Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, has built a platform that connects vulnerable residents of Borno State with philanthropists across Nigeria and beyond. Instead of traditional outreach alone, the foundation uses Facebook, TikTok, and other social handles to interview individuals in dire need, share their videos, and document the moment support arrives.

'His foundation becomes popular in the state and also becomes a saving life for many vulnerable populations in the state,' residents say.

The model is simple but effective.

Tallafi’s team identifies families struggling with food, medical bills, shelter, and other basic needs.

They record short interviews, post them online, and then share follow-up videos showing the same people receiving assistance donated through public appeals.

That transparency has fueled trust.

In the last few months, the foundation’s posts have drawn widespread attention in Borno and across the region, turning individual cases into community-wide responses.

Beyond direct aid, Tallafi is pushing a broader message: that social media should be used as a tool for good.

'Use social media to promote peace and advocate for the wellbeing of the less privileged people among us,' he said in a recent appeal.

He called on other citizens to leverage their platforms to highlight the needs of the less privileged across Borno State and Nigeria at large.

The approach has resonated.

Residents of Maiduguri and other communities have commended the work of Ali Tallafi and urged him to continue.

'They asked him to keep doing what he is doing and called on others to do same,' one community member noted, pointing to how the foundation has given visibility to people who are often overlooked.

With displacement, economic hardship, and humanitarian needs still pressing in Borno, the Ali Tallafi Foundation’s social-first model is offering a new channel for support — one video, one interview, and one act of kindness at a time.