People complain about so much bad press about Africa and especially with the people that help run Africa's 's most populous country, Nigeria. They forgot to inquire the reasons for a lack of positive feed back. Information is power and if a distorted Chinese whisper form is the only way in the age of social networks and iP2, Nigeria and the rest of Africa will regress further. Why is it so difficult to get get accurate information in Nigeria? A visit to any official websites is full of resumes and speeches of the people in charge and that is about all you would get. Who is that faceless person? What have that person contributed to that role? People looking for information care that the faceless official was born and went to school. All that may begin to change with one person that has decided to tell it as it is.

Amina J Ibrahim is good old me!

Born of a Nigerian father from Gombe and a British mother from Wales.I was educated in Nigeria from the age of 2 in Birnin Kebbi, Kaduna and Maiduguri before finishing in the Isle of Man. I came home in 1980 and have never left since....so am not a Nigerian in diaspora.

I started working for an Multi engineering practice in Kaduna for 11 years then set up a Firm called Afri-projects Consortium with 4 other male colleagues and among others designed and implemented the PTF. I resigned and actively engaged in the Education sector where we challenged Government as Civil Society to produce a National EFA Plan. They then asked us to do it and I took up the challenge. Today in Nigeria we have a National EFA Plan...not the best but it is in place to be improved upon.

I was then asked by President OBJ to come and design a mechanism to spend the Debt Relief we acquired in 2005 on poverty related programs. I did that and was reappointed by the YarAdua Administration in August 2007.

I sincerely believe that any opportunity given to serve to is to put your money where your mouth is...and that in our wonderful country is hard...but I am privileged and blessed to have a network in civil society, govt and the community from which I come to guide me. In addition to that my sisters and brothers I with many of my colleagues and nijas have been fighting to ensure that one day we will by the grace of God reach our potentials.....

I am relieved that you dont know about me because there are millions of Nigerian at home who are working day and night for a better future for our children that are nameless..that you dont know about us does not make them insignificant.

What I hope this response will do is to engage you further at home in our struggle to overcome the rhetoric, frustration, cynicism and disappointment in Nigeria and put into actions that will make a difference on the ground.

I serve in a public office and you will find my door open to constructive engagement in the reconstruction of our dear nation...I challenge you to come on board and be nation builders instead of speculators....o ya now!

May God to bless us all, ameen
Hajia Amina