About Somali Localization Lab

The Somali Localization Lab (SLL) is a Somali-led, multi-stakeholder platform created to strengthen local leadership and shift humanitarian and development systems toward genuinely locally led action in Somalia.

It was launched in February 2026 in Mogadishu as part of the NEAR Network’s Africa Localization Labs initiative. The Lab is convened by Nexus Consortium Somalia, with co-conveners including Action Against Disaster Somalia (AADSOM), Agency for Resilience Initiative Network( ARIN), and Horn of Africa Voluntary Youth Committee (HAVOYOCO).

What makes the SLL distinct is that it is not a traditional NGO project, service delivery mechanism, or donor funding intermediary. Instead, it functions as a systems-change and influence platform. Its role is to bring together Somali civil society organizations, community actors, NGOs, donors, government stakeholders, and regional networks to address structural barriers that prevent local actors from leading humanitarian and development responses.