Our People

Prince Gideon Olanrewaju

Gideon is an Educational Development Practitioner and EdTech Policy researcher skilled in pedagogical innovation, organisational strategy and non-profit leadership. Working with and leading teams across four continents over the last seven years, he has vast experience in supporting the design and implementation of educational interventions with particular competence in proposal development, grant/contract compliance, budget management, and program operations.

Charles Falajiki

Charles is a Digital Development Professional with over 3 years of transnational work experience, supporting the design, pilot, widespread adoption and impact evaluation of multiple EdTech innovations and digital learning interventions. His expertise lies in the intersection of system design thinking, digital development research and non-profit management. He leads operational delivery across a number of NGOs and startups.

Edidiong Simeon Anthony

Edidiong is a Project Management Professional having over 5 years experience in  designing, planning, implementing  and monitoring  Developmental programs with a proven track record in leading staff members and evaluating project progress to achieve timely results.

With her firm focus in the educational sector, she has demonstrated competence in career development, 21st century life skills training, and foundational skills development.targeted at marginalized children and youths. . She has  also managed various  programs and projects funded by UNICEF, UKFCDO, GlobalGiving, Malafund, etc.

Funmilola Ahmadu Bamidele

Funmilola is an Educational Economist with demonstrated competencies in impact measurement and evaluation and has supported the design and implementation of programs to improve education quality. Also an ardent researcher with a strong background in qualitative and quantitative research methodology, she is well versed in a range of statistical and econometric packages such as SPSS, and Excel for research modeling and analysis as well as ODK and SurveyTOGO for data collection.

Bertha Sewuese Agbendeh

Bertha is an experienced Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning Professional with diverse experience in data design, collection, analysis and management. She previously worked with Gender and Environmental Risk Reduction Initiative as a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer.

Michael Abdullahi

Michael is an education development practitioner with expertise in community engagement and organizing and has 5years of work and leadership experience in the nonprofit sector while interfacing between businesses, government and NGOs in empowering young people to innovate and translate various forms of education into sustainable, social and economic solutions.

Opeolu Eniola Adeyemi

Opeolu is a versatile creative with a depth of dynamic work experience. Over the past 7 years, her engagement in full-time roles, consulting services, volunteering, and pro-bono work, especially in Corporate Communications and Public Relations, spans the Education Sector, Non-Profits, Broadcasting, Media & Publishing, Health-Tech, Tech-Recreation, Finance & Investment, and the Public Sector.

She is a hands-on creative who accurately conveys the positioning of brands, leveraging the power of brilliant design and strategic marketing for brand management and clear communication.

Omoniyi Lawson

Omoniyi is a lifelong learner with over five (5) years of experience leveraging technology to drive positive change. With a background in Electronics and Communication Engineering, he possesses a solid foundation in understanding complex systems and developing creative solutions. He combines technical expertise with a deep understanding of human needs to address challenges from a holistic perspective. He aims to contribute to a world where technology facilitates positive change and improves the lives of individuals and communities.

He is dedicated to advocating for and creating experiences prioritising usability, accessibility, and inclusivity. He is adept at utilizing his user experience design, engineering, and technological problem-solving skills to create impactful solutions.

Maureen London

Maureen is a development practitioner with over 6 years’ experience designing, implementing and evaluating programs in various fields of health, education, livelihoods and protection. My work in the health and education sector has enhanced close and constructive engagement with diverse groups and stakeholders through participatory engagements and advocacy that strengthens institutions and systems especially for the benefit of the people in underserved communities. Which has resulted in the reduction of the poverty level of marginalized households.

Faith Ginika

Faith is a Chartered Manager and experienced Human Resources Professional with professional qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management and the Nigerian Institute of Management. She has worked with companies and organizations in a variety of industries and has years of progressive experience in employee relations, recruitment, conflict management, onboarding, time management, and performance management.

Stephen Phillips

Stephen’s research interests lie in understanding the role of education and upskilling in achieving social development goals at the community level. He draws on the principles of engaged research to explore how communities in conflict contexts can take ownership of the development process by acting as partners and agents in facilitating social change.

Expanding on his work at AREAi, Stephen is currently working on a paper that analyses the successes of the FastTrack Intervention and its potential as a template for addressing education inequality in the nation and Africa at large. He is an alumnus of prestigious programs such as the Yenching Global Symposium and the YALI RLC, Accra.

Ayomiposi Sanmabo

Ayomiposi is a Monitoring and Evaluation practitioner with over two years of proven expertise in building organizational capacity, conducting qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method research, maintaining data, and utilizing evidence to inform and guide developmental interventions for underserved communities.

She has also assisted in the implementation of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning  framework for innovative education intervention programs centered on bridging education gaps for underserved communities in Nigeria.

Wonderful Toluwanimi Akanbi

Wonderful Akanbi is a skilled lawyer and development professional with over 3 years of professional work experience in the private sector and in the field of international development. At AREAi, she manages stakeholder engagements, establishes and manages relationships with partners. The impact of her work extends across Nigeria, particularly in the field of education, digital development, climate  and youth opportunities. She also manages the Program and Impact Fellowship program at AREAi, where she trains the fellows to build professional skills and  be competent development Practitioners.

Mekitmfon AwakEssien

Mekitmfon is an Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) Specialist with over 7 years of planning, organising, coordinating the development, maintenance and use of technology for good within leading non-profit organizations and social enterprises across Africa. With an excellent capability in ICT, Projects and Operations Management, he has led continental-wide and nationwide media and ICT for development interventions.