About Us Our People Our Board Our board OBA NSUGBE, KC SAN - BOARD CHAIR A graduate of Hull University, UK, Oba Nsugbe, KC SAN was called to the English Bar in 1985 and the Nigerian Bar in 1986. He has a broad international practice as a lawyer, with a particular interest in Africa. Aged 35, he was appointed a part-time Judge of the Crown Court, England & Wales, the youngest at the time. In 2002, aged only 39, he became the first Nigerian practicing abroad to be promoted to Queen’s Counsel. He was then promoted to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2005 and elected a Bencher of Gray’s Inn in the same year. For almost 20 years, he has headed Pump Court Chambers in London, a large common law set of chambers, where he is the only black Head of Chambers in the Temple. A passionate lover of the arts, Oba is also a trustee of the Yinka Shonibare Foundation and “New Curators”. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a past member of the Tate African Arts Acquisition Committee. He was featured in Powerful Media’s Power list as one of Britain’s 100 most influential black people in 2010. In 2020, he was featured in the Nigeria Guardian’s publication “60 Nigerians in 60 years: Making Nigerian Lives Matter” celebrating sixty years of Nigeria’s independence. In 2021, he was named Nigeria Magazine’s “Twenty persons of the decade". AUDREY MPUNZWANA Audrey is a seasoned communication specialist whose expertise encompasses all aspects of stakeholder engagement including media relations, brand awareness, external affairs planning, and employee engagement. Her work in the global corporate and international development sectors has taken her all over the world, including 20 African capitals. Now an independent consultant, Audrey was previously based in Washington DC where she held leadership roles at the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank Treasury. As well as Chairing the new PR and Communication Board Committee at The Africa Centre, Audrey is an Advisor for NoTurningBack2020, a long-term Diversity, and Inclusion programme committed to bringing about sustainable change in the UK’s marketing and communication industry. She holds an MA in Mass Communication from the University of Leicester’s Centre for Mass Communication and Research and a BSc. In Sociology from the University of Zimbabwe. Audrey started her career in radio and television in her native Zimbabwe. DAVID TUNDE DAVIS David is Treasurer of The Africa Centre Ltd and also chairs the charity’s Finance and Administration Committee. He is an accomplished Finance Director and CFO with over 25 years of experience in banking and professional services. He is the Chief Financial Officer of FBN Bank (UK) Limited, responsible for overseeing the Finance and Treasury functions of the Bank. David is a Chartered Certified Accountant, holds a BSc (Hons) Economics degree from the London School of Economics and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Henley Business School. He is passionate about African art & culture, education, and entrepreneurship. NZUBE UFODIKE Nzube is an entrepreneur, investor, and TV producer. He serves as a board member and advisor to early and growth-stage businesses in the UK and emerging markets including origination and structuring pre-seed to Series B. He is a co-producer and TV talk show host of Slay Storiez. At The British Computer Society, Chartered Institute for IT, he is both the Founding Chair of EMBRACE SIG & Vice-Chair for the London Central Branch. He chairs the Young Executives SIG of the Institute of Directors, London Region. He attained a BS/MSci in Computer Science from Queen Mary University of London. He is passionate about building sustainable and inclusive communities and does this through volunteering in various underrepresented groups (incl. Black, women, LGBTQIA+, and youth). ETHEL TAMBUDZAI Ethel is an award-winning business consultant, Ethel is passionate about governance, community building, and strategic planning. She is the Founder & Director of Tambu Group Ltd; a boutique consulting firm that works with start-ups, charities, members' clubs, and social enterprises across the UK, Europe, and Africa. Part of Ethel’s responsibilities as a young trustee at The Africa Centre is to help develop strategies to reach and impact other young people. Ethel is currently pursuing her MSc in Corporate Governance & Business Ethics at Birkbeck College, University of London (2022). She holds a BA (Hons.) in International Relations & Development Studies from the University of Westminster. GOSIA BRZEZINSKA Founder and Director of BB Partners, a strategic communications advisory, Gosia brings a decade of communications experience, a no-nonsense approach to business and financial management, and planning for growth. She has vast experience in managing reputations, running global campaigns, designing strategic communications for Africa-based organisations, and influencing stakeholders on the continent. Gosia has worked alongside some of the leaders and changemakers in Africa. This includes leading communications for Mo Ibrahim and Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Aya Chebbi, the African Union Special Envoy on Youth, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Africa team, Dangote Foundation, Strive Masiyiwa, Vera Songwe, and many more. From launching Melinda Gates’ Pathways for Prosperity Commission in Nairobi to managing and running communications for the Islamic Development Bank’s Transformers Summit hosted by President Macky Sall in Senegal. She brings connectivity with influential media and journalists interested in The Africa Centre’s story and its mission. JULIAN BOIATEY Julian is an entrepreneur with 7 years of commercial and operations experience at early-stage start-ups such as Monzo, Chip, and Bridge-U. He was one of the founding members of the original Young Africa Centre in 2016 and has since set up Yendy; a personal care brand with a supply chain built to support small-scale female farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. PAUL GOODWIN A curator, researcher, urbanist, and educator based in London, Paul has multidisciplinary research and curatorial practice and studied Marxist urban geography, with Prof. David Harvey as one of his professors. He developed the concept of Black Urbanism, a field of study framed around understanding Black creative practice in the production of space, as an urban design strategy and a methodology for reimagining cities and art. Goodwin is passionate about all things Africa and specialises in contemporary art and curating from the continent and diaspora. Currently, he is director of TrAIN Research Centre (Transnational Art Identity and Nation) at the University of the Arts London where is he a professor and UAL Chair of Contemporary Art & Urbanism. In 2021 he was made an Honorary Fellow of Wadham College, University of Oxford. Goodwin is a passionate jazz enthusiast and in his misguided youth, he was a scratch DJ who occasionally played with UK Old School legends Freshski & MoRock most notably at The Africa Centre when it was in Covent Garden. MURIEL LAMIN Muriel is a commercial and business strategist with extensive experience across the global media landscape. She leads a multifunctional team working across philanthropic partnerships, business development and strategy, technical operations, and communications. She has worked in a range of business development and commercial strategy roles within the media and advertising industry, both in the US and UK, including Time Inc., Hearst, and BBC. Further, she has written and presented research papers on the impact of advertising on content consumption and cultural statistics for the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Through public speaking engagements and pro-bono work, Muriel has also led discussions on sustainable monetisation opportunities for publishers in emerging markets. She holds an MSc with Distinction in Management from the University of Bristol and a BA in Media and Modern Literature from Goldsmiths College, University of London. NISSRIN ZAPTIA Nissrin Zaptia is an independent creative communications and business strategist with over 15 years of experience in the fields of Art, Architecture, and Culture. Born in Libya, Nissrin has a breadth of international experience having lived and worked in Africa, the Middle East, the UK, and Europe. Based in Vienna and London, Nissrin's global perspective has given her a unique insight into the needs of audiences from diverse cultures and backgrounds. To date, Nissrin has worked with government entities, architecture practices, art galleries, and cultural organisations to help them achieve their goals through effective communications strategies, brand awareness, engaging new audiences, or building relationships with key stakeholders. Nissrin has also served as a guest editor for Design Exchange magazine and a guest critic for BA Architecture students at Central St Martins. Governance The Africa Centre is governed by its Board of Trustees Registered charity number: 313510VAT Registration: 241 1755 86 Registered Office: 66-68 Great Suffolk Street, London SE1 0BL Independent Auditors: Hillier Hopkins LLP, Radius House, 51 Clarendon Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD17 1HP Company Limited by guarantee, registered in England: 00683989 Annual accounts are available to view or download via the link below: Latest Report Manage Cookie Preferences