Funke is a lawyer, historian and governance strategist whose career spans more than thirty years across commercial law, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, enterprise systems and organisational transformation.
Having practised law before moving into management consulting, she has advised organisations across multiple sectors, including assignments with Accenture UK and Airbus in both the United Kingdom and France. Her academic background in History complements her professional expertise by bringing a deep appreciation of cultural heritage, institutional development and the preservation of historical identity.
Within The African Village, she provides leadership in governance, legal strategy, institutional design and regulatory stewardship.
Abimbola is a Chartered Accountant and financial governance specialist with more than twenty years’ experience in financial management, enterprise risk, compliance and internal control systems.
His analytical approach to financial stewardship, combined with extensive expertise in corporate assurance and risk management, strengthens The African Village’s commitment to transparency, accountability and sustainable financial governance. He provides strategic oversight of financial planning, risk management and institutional resilience.
Tope is an internationally experienced real estate strategist with over twenty-five years of professional experience across real estate investment, property development, infrastructure delivery, asset management, valuation, mortgage banking, facilities management and pension fund administration.
A Fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the African Real Estate Society, he has led and advised on projects that have created more than US$650 million in real estate assets over the past decade. His expertise provides The African Village with strategic leadership in land acquisition, development planning, commercial property strategy and long-term infrastructure delivery.
Ijeamaka is an experienced technology professional specialising in data architecture, software engineering and digital platform development.
With more than fifteen years’ experience designing and implementing enterprise data management solutions, she brings extensive expertise in database architecture, full-stack application development and digital transformation. Her leadership supports The African Village’s technology strategy, digital infrastructure and emerging Cultural Intelligence initiatives.
Kay is an entrepreneur and strategic innovator with more than thirty years’ experience across international trade, business development, software development, digital transformation, and project management.
A certified Agile Project Management Practitioner and an MIT Sloan-certified Artificial Intelligence Business Strategist, he has successfully delivered multi-sector initiatives across the United Kingdom, North America, Asia and West Africa. Kay provides strategic leadership for the vision, commercial development, innovation agenda and long-term institutional growth, with a particular focus on creating a sustainable enterprise that generates lasting social and economic impact.
Lai is an accomplished media practitioner, journalist and communications strategist with extensive international experience across the energy sector in the Middle East, Africa and South America.
His expertise encompasses strategic communications, crisis management, stakeholder engagement, media relations and organisational reputation. Within The African Village, he provides leadership in communications strategy, narrative development and international media engagement, ensuring that the institution communicates its vision with clarity, credibility and global reach.
In addition to its Founding Board, The African Village, United Kingdom is supported by a growing network of over fifty professional contributors from the UK, Africa, Europe, North America, and other global markets.
This multidisciplinary resource includes experts in Architecture and Design, Business Strategy, Entertainment Strategy, Programme Management and Digital, Legal, Production and Technical, Experience Management, Brand Strategy, and Financial Engineering.
Together, they bring international experience, cultural insight, and technical excellence to help shape TAV as a world-class institution with enduring global relevance.