From surviving the Sierra Leone civil war and spending a decade in an orphanage to becoming an international speaker, organizational strategist, master life coach, and global advocate for vulnerable children and families, Emmanuel “Nabs” Nabieu’s journey is a testament to the power of purpose, resilience, and transformation.
Born in Sierra Leone, Nabs’s early life was shaped by war, separation from his family, and years spent navigating life on the streets and in an orphanage. These formative experiences deeply shaped his understanding of loss, identity, leadership, and the human need for belonging.
Today, Nabs helps individuals and organizations unlock their potential, align with their values, and move forward with clarity, confidence, and lasting impact. He partners with nonprofits, faith communities, and global organizations to advance leadership development and care reform—reminding others that no matter how far one has been displaced, healing, hope, and home are always possible.
⭐Summary of Nabs’ STORY
“What does it truly mean to belong?”
For Nabs, this question has never been abstract. It has shaped his life—and continues to shape the lives of millions of care-experienced children around the world.
At a young age, Nabs witnessed his father killed during Sierra Leone’s civil war. He was separated from his mother and siblings, navigated life on the streets, and eventually entered an orphanage, where he spent ten years of his childhood and teenage years. During that time, he gained access to food, shelter, and education—support for which he remains deeply grateful.
Yet even as his physical needs were met, a deeper ache remained.
He had lost his family.
He longed to belong.
He missed his community—the love, identity, and connection that only family can provide.
Through lived experience, Nabs learned a truth that would later define his leadership and advocacy: no institution can replace the love, identity, and belonging of a family.
⭐Nabs’ Mission & Leadership
Nabs’s story is not defined by trauma alone.
It is the story of a young boy who refused to let displacement determine his destiny—and of a man who transformed personal pain into a lifelong commitment to restoring dignity, strengthening families, and reforming systems that impact children.
Years later, Nabs returned to lead the very institution where he had grown up—not to preserve it, but to transform it. Under his leadership, the orphanage transitioned into one of the first family-based care models in Sierra Leone, reconnecting children with families and empowering communities to care for their own.
This experience crystallized his life’s mission:
to help people and systems transform from the inside out—
with purpose, clarity, courage, and consistent action.
With honesty, compassion, and conviction, Nabs speaks openly about overcoming bitterness, reclaiming identity, and cultivating joy after profound loss. His leadership challenges common assumptions about orphanhood and champions solutions rooted in family, faith, perseverance, and sustainable change.
⭐PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Emmanuel “Nabs” Nabieu is an international speaker and organizational strategist, as well as a global care-experienced advocate for children’s care reform efforts. He is a certified Master Life Coach and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner, and the founder of NabsInspires Life Coaching & Consulting. Currently, he is a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) candidate in Nonprofit Leadership & Governance, exploring dynamics of sustainable cross-cultural partnerships for long-term impact.
With deep expertise in leadership development, systems change, and capacity building, Emmanuel advises nonprofits, churches, and global organizations on care reform for orphaned and vulnerable children and families. He has also shared his insights as a guest speaker at TEDx, USAID events, UN High-Level Sessions, universities, schools, churches, and global summits around the world.
⭐APPROACH
Nabs’ coaching and consulting approach integrates:
- Lived experience
- Evidence-based tools
- Organizational leadership principles
- Neuroscience-informed coaching
- Purpose-driven transformation frameworks
Whether working with individuals or organizations, he helps clients:
- Gain clarity
- Build confidence
- Strengthen leadership
- Make courageous decisions
- Create sustainable change
- Align actions with purpose
⭐THE PURPOSEFUL PROGRESS MINDSET™
At the heart of NabsInspires is the Purposeful Progress Mindset™, a signature framework that guides all coaching and consulting engagements.
This mindset is built on four core pillars:
- Clarity of purpose
- Alignment with values
- Small, consistent actions
- Compassionate accountability
Together, these anchors create steady growth, resilient leadership, and meaningful transformation — personally and professionally.
Beyond the Work
Outside of his professional work, Nabs is happily married to his wife, Kimberly. Together, they find joy in building meaningful relationships, exploring new cultures, and engaging in work that transforms lives and communities. Their shared commitment to growth, connection, and service reflects the same values that guide Nabs’ leadership and professional mission.
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