It gives me great pleasure to continue to work with the Murtala Muhammed Foundation in remembrance of one of our nation’s greatest patriots. As a mark of our resolve to actualize our mission strategy, we decided to enhance the fabric of social consciousness towards some of the socio-economic issues that impact on the Nation and Africa. The Foundation, through its policy and advocacy programs, is ensuring collective collaboration in defining sustainable solutions to development. This has therefore formed the basis of the programs and activities of the Foundation.

In no small measure, the effect of our annual lecture and conference series which started in 1991 has been rewarding. Transcending different administrations, these series have become a magnetic pull on opinion and thought leaders, captains of industries, members of the diplomatic corps, and chief executives of multinationals who are in the forefront of development engagements. The depth of participation and emerging alliances from this lecture and conference series deeply underscore the importance participants attribute to the selected themes and keynote speakers. It also underscores the burning desire of key players in the Nigerian society to keep abreast and up-to-date on the solution to Nigeria and Africa’s diverse problems.

Disasters constitute a risk that we all face on a daily basis be it at work, home, or around us. No one prays for disasters, no matter how well prepared. However, given the disturbing spate and varied manifestations of disasters around the world in the past few years, organized disaster management has become a major priority of nations and humanitarian organizations. The difference lies in how we manage it in terms of strategy, policy, institutions, collaboration, technology, information, personnel, leadership, resources, and preparedness.

The Murtala Muhammed Foundation is resolutely committed to the ideals and targets of the Disaster Risk Reduction concept as defined by the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction with the prime strategy of managing disasters through the bottom-up approach. Effective disaster management must of necessity be the concern of us all, in other words, all hands must be on deck, we must look after one another and we must plan and prepare together for maximum impact at all times.

One of the underlying considerations in our commitment to wealth creation and poverty reduction is to build good governance, engender peace and security, stem the growth rates of terrorism and crime and sustain the environment; it must be a collective effort to win while losing is a collective failure. However, at the core of these issues are fundamentals; if skillfully addressed, undoubtedly will produce sustainable growth and development.

We are working with different reputable organizations to leverage on their networking and best practice. Our collaboration with international private sector organizations such as London Metropolitan University, Computer Aid International, has afforded us diverse opportunities.

We wish to thank our resource persons, donors, individuals, corporate organizations, government agencies. Though our donors have remained loyal, there is still a yawning gap to support more programs.

Ultimately we are relentless, through our programs, in achieving the statement of our mission which is to improve the living conditions of Africans by contributing to reduction of poverty and elimination of conflict, while "promoting self-reliance and self-fulfillment”.

Thank you,

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR
Chairman, Murtala Muhammed Foundation