IDEAS THAT CHANGE NATIONS

Dear Friends,

I am writing to let you know about a major effort to reach Leaders in the Nigerian Nation. A critical outreach has been planned to the Nigerian National Assembly for December 10, 2004.The theme is "IDEAS THAT CHANGE NATIONS" This seminar is targeted at engaging critical leaders in the nation with a need to look again at the "road map" for national emancipation. We will be asking: `What manner of life and what pattern of thought will lift a nation such as Nigeria to the place that God wants it to be? What practical ideas will save the nation of Nigeria?

We have secured the agreement of Papa Allison Ayida, former Secretary to the Federal Government of Nigeria to be the Keynote speaker. Papa Ayida was one of the Team that ran Nigeria when it worked. During the divisive circumstances that led to the civil war of the late 1960s, Papa Ayida was one of the three leading civil servants that helped defined the clear concept that "We must keep Nigeria One." Papa Ayida was one of the"Kitchen Cabinet" that ran the Nigerian Civil War without borrowing a penny internationally. Post Civil War, he was critical to defining the reconciliatory "No Victor, No Vanquished" position of the Federal government. He was also critical to facilitating the reconstruction efforts as Secretary to the Federal Government in the 1970s. It is critical to observe that since Ayida and Team left the scene, Nigeria has been on a critical path of a downward spiral which we are still fighting desperately to stop. Papa Ayida lives in a quiet retirement today. He comes out to give major speeches in the public maybe - once every other year and whatever he has said has been nearly prophetic in its impact. We in Mission Africa International refer to him as "TheProphet to The Technocrats" We have asked Papa to speak on "Turning Back from the Brink: Strategies for the Redemption of a Nation"

Papa Ayida has strong Christian commitments and is very active in Our Savior's Church (Anglican Communion) at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos Nigeria. Papa Ayida supports his wife of over 40 years, Mrs. Remi Ayida (Mama to us in Mission Africa International) in her creative leadership of Friendship Bible Fellowship Ministry. FBFM is a ministry devoted to mobilizing and discipling women through prayers, and every other month, they publish and distribute 110,000 copies of the daily devotional "Everyday With Jesus" in Nigeria (Please read the interesting article about FBFM and Everyday with Jesus in Nigeria at this website http://www.everydaywithjesus.com/docs/highlights.htm<http://www.everydaywithjesus.com/docs/highlights.htm> ). I had the privilege of working with this organization as the Outreach Coordinator for "Project Cover to Cover", the Millennial Year Strategy of getting 100,000 people to read the Bible from "Cover to Cover")

Other people that will be involved in this Seminar are Alero Otobo, Prof. Aizee Obayan, Mr. Abiodun Fijabi, Mr. Chimezie Onyebilama, Dr Sam Dibakol and Rev. Sam Ajetomobi. These are all thinkers of the Younger Generation. I will be leading an interactive Session on "Defining Contextual Systems For Change"

I am writing to please request your contribution to this process. We want to Initiate Discussions that will lead to a strategic mobilization of the Nigerian nation for change for Africa.

I am your Brother

Sayo Ajiboye, Rev
Africa Leadership Project
Executive Director
Mission Africa International
St Louis MO USA