On Sunday, April 20, 2025, the West-Central Africa Division (WAD) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church officially launched the Leadership Development Growth Series, known as LeadLab, for the Northern Nigeria Union Conference (NNUC).

Designed to nurture spiritually grounded and transformational leaders, LeadLab marks a major leadership initiative across the division. The virtual meeting, hosted on Zoom, brought together more than 100 participants and opened with prayer by Iorkyaa Vealumun, executive secretary of NNUC, dedicating the session to God's guidance.

The launch was facilitated by WAD LeadLab coordinators Juvenal Balisasa and Omobonike Sessou, alongside LeadLab trainers Ibrahim Simon Aridi and Benjamin Yemson Nuhu. The event concluded the inauguration phase of LeadLab across Nigeria.

A Call for Christ-Centered Leadership

Balisasa delivered a devotional thought titled "Watchmen of a Peculiar Kind," urging leaders to reflect on the character and direction of the Church. Reading from Ezekiel 3:17–21, Balisasa emphasized the need for leaders molded in the likeness of Christ rather than those shaped by worldly standards.

"End-time ministry is not in need of self-selected watchmen qualified after the standards of the dying world, but those whom Christ can mold after His likeness—no matter their background," Balisasa said. "Christ needs end-time watchmen—church leaders who live the holy life they preach and preach the holy life they live."

Balisasa also identified atheism, naturalism, polytheism, mysticism, spiritualism, parasitism, predation, and the perilous pursuit of preeminence as critical challenges facing the Church today. He called on leaders to guard against these vices and to "stimulate hope for a better tomorrow with the promise of restoration."

Training Modules for Transformational Leadership

The LeadLab launch highlighted four core modules, each offering biblically rooted and practical strategies for Christ-centered leadership:

• Leading Self – presented by Omobonike Sessou

• Leading with Others – moderated by Ibrahim Simon Aridi

• Leading in Organization – anchored by Benjamin Yemson Nuhu

• Leading through Multiplication – delivered by Omobonike Sessou

Speaking on Leading through Multiplication, Sessou addressed the rise of authoritarian and self-centered leadership styles that threaten the Church’s core values of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Drawing from passages such as 2 Timothy 1:3, Romans 6:17, and 1 Corinthians 4:16–17, she outlined three essential phases of replicative leadership:

• The Preacher Phase – Engaging others

• The Apostle Phase – Establishing others

• The Teacher Phase – Edifying others

"Embracing these phases is necessary for fostering and replicating kingdom-focused leaders for the advancement of God's mission in Northern Nigeria and across the country," Sessou said. "Most importantly, don’t be ashamed of sharing your personal story—God’s fingerprints in your life—as it will inspire others to know and accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior."

Throughout the program, participants engaged actively through the chat feature, sharing reflections and personal takeaways from the training.

Building for Sustainable Growth

In his closing remarks, Ishaya, president of the NNUC, described the LeadLab initiative as both "timely and transformational."

“We are thankful to WAD leadership for this divine opportunity,” Ishaya said. “LeadLab is a powerful tool for leadership development. As a union, we will leverage it to inspire and build God-fearing leaders for sustainable spiritual growth and multiplication in Northern Nigeria.”

The launch concluded with a special prayer offered by Balisasa, asking for God's intervention in the challenges faced by the region and for His continued empowerment of the Church’s mission across Northern Nigeria.

About LeadLab

LeadLab is a global leadership development program for Seventh-day Adventist leaders, designed to foster mission-driven, spiritually grounded, and transformational leadership. Combining the rich spiritual heritage of the Adventist faith with practical leadership strategies, LeadLab equips leaders with the skills, vision, and character needed to advance the Church’s mission. The program provides a unique, comprehensive training experience aimed at preparing effective leaders to serve and grow in diverse ministry contexts around the world.

The original article was published on the West-Central Africa Division news site. Join the ANN WhatsApp Channel for the latest Adventist news.