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Our Team

Our Team

Meet the dedicated leaders guiding our mission to build Africa's AI future.

Board of Directors

Dr. Uche Onyekpe

Director

Dr. Uche Onyekpe

Director

Dr Uche Onyekpe provides overall strategic leadership and vision for the African Institute for Artificial Intelligence, guiding its mission to advance responsible AI across the continent. He oversees program portfolios, partnerships, and institutional growth, ensuring alignment with the organisation’s long-term goals. Dr Onyekpe also represents the institute in high-level stakeholder engagements and regional forums. He is passionate about building sustainable AI ecosystems that centre African needs and perspectives.

Dr Ibn Wahab Benin

Director

Dr Ibn Wahab Benin

Director

Dr Ibn Wahab Benin serves on the Board of Directors, helping to shape the institute’s strategic direction and governance. He provides oversight on major initiatives, risk management, and institutional accountability. Dr Benin supports the leadership team with guidance on partnerships, research priorities, and impact metrics. His work focuses on ensuring that AI-4AI’s activities remain ethical, inclusive, and regionally relevant.

Karima Seidu

Secretary

Karima Seidu

Secretary

Karima Seidu serves as Secretary to the Board, ensuring effective documentation, communication, and coordination of governance activities. She manages board records, meeting minutes, and official correspondence for the institute. Karima helps maintain compliance with organisational policies and legal requirements. She also supports the leadership team by streamlining information flows between directors, staff, and key stakeholders.

Maame Efua Bentum

Treasurer

Maame Efua Bentum

Treasurer

Maame Efua Bentum oversees the financial stewardship of the institute as Treasurer. She provides guidance on budgeting, financial planning, and prudent resource management. Maame reviews financial reports and supports transparent reporting to the Board and external partners. She is committed to ensuring sustainability and accountability in how the organisation funds its programs and operations.

Senior Management

Sunday Wambui

Head of Community and Ecosystem

Sunday Wambui

Head of Community and Ecosystem

Sunday Wambui leads the Community and Ecosystem portfolio, building networks that connect practitioners, learners, and partners across Africa’s AI landscape. She designs initiatives that strengthen collaboration, knowledge sharing, and community engagement. Sunday works closely with local and international stakeholders to grow AI-4AI’s membership, events, and outreach programmes. Her goal is to foster an inclusive ecosystem where diverse voices shape the future of AI in Africa.

Yemisi Obielodan

Head of Innovation and Applied AI

Yemisi Obielodan

Head of Innovation and Applied AI

Yemisi Obielodan drives the institute’s Innovation and Applied AI agenda, translating emerging technologies into real-world impact. She leads projects that explore practical AI solutions for social, educational, and economic challenges. Yemisi collaborates with technical teams, partners, and communities to pilot and scale innovative use cases. She is dedicated to ensuring that applied AI projects are ethical, human-centred, and contextually relevant

Vikash Marik

Head of Capability Building

Vikash Marik

Head of Capability Building

Vikash Marik leads Capability Building, overseeing training programmes that equip learners, professionals, and organisations with core AI skills. He designs curricula, workshops, and learning pathways tailored to African contexts. Vikash works with educators, partners, and mentors to deliver high-quality learning experiences both online and in person. His work focuses on developing a strong pipeline of AI talent across the continent.

Dr Abiola Tolu Babatunde

Head of Academic Research

Dr Abiola Tolu Babatunde

Head of Academic Research

Dr Abiola Tolu Babatunde heads the Academic Research portfolio, steering the institute’s research agenda on AI in and for Africa. He coordinates research projects, publications, and collaborations with universities and research centres. Dr Babatunde mentors emerging researchers and promotes rigorous, interdisciplinary inquiry. His work supports evidence-based policy, innovation, and education in the AI space.

Gilbert Obichere

Interim Head of AI Governance

Gilbert Obichere

Interim Head of AI Governance

Gilbert Obichere leads the AI Governance function on an interim basis, focusing on policy, ethics, and regulatory engagement. He develops frameworks and guidance to support responsible AI development and deployment. Gilbert works with policymakers, civil society, and technical experts to shape conversations on AI standards and safeguards. He is committed to ensuring that AI systems respect rights, fairness, and local values.

Marvellous Okechukwu

Strategy Delivery Manager / Interim Head of Operations

Marvellous Okechukwu

Strategy Delivery Manager / Interim Head of Operations

Marvellous drives the seamless execution of AI-4AI’s strategic initiatives, ensuring that ideas turn into effective programs and measurable outcomes. She oversees operations, aligns cross-functional teams, and implements systems that support sustainable growth and organizational efficiency. With a decade of experience across nonprofit and legal sectors, Marvellous brings expertise in strategy delivery, operational design, and program management — all grounded in structure, accountability, and impact.

Our Contributors

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Shope Idris

Data Analyst-Operations Team Lead

Shope Idris

Data Analyst-Operations Team Lead

Shope leads AI-4AI’s operations team, using data to design, monitor, and improve how programs, processes, and people work together. She combines operational experience with advanced analytics to track key performance metrics, uncover bottlenecks, and turn complex workflows into efficient, scalable systems that support the institute’s mission. By building dashboards, analysing trends, and translating insights into practical changes, she ensures that decisions at AI-4AI are evidence‑based and that operations continuously improve over time.

Collins Amabuo

Communications and Marketing Specialist

Collins Amabuo

Communications and Marketing Specialist

Collins Amabuo leads communications and marketing efforts for AI-4AI. He crafts messaging, campaigns, and content that tell the organization’s story, engage stakeholders, and grow its community and brand.

Tioluwani Agboola

Personal Assistant to the Director

Tioluwani Agboola

Personal Assistant to the Director

Tioluwani Agboola serves as Personal Assistant to the Director at AI-4AI, bringing over two years of professional experience in executive and administrative support. She handles managing executive correspondence, coordinating schedules and meetings, and providing day-to-day operational help to support effective leadership and decision-making.

Ufuoma Braimah

IT Team Manager

Ufuoma Braimah

IT Team Manager

Ufuoma Braimah leads the IT team, overseeing the institute’s technology infrastructure and digital tools. She manages systems that support collaboration, data security, and programme delivery. Ufuoma coordinates technical support, implementation of new platforms, and best practices in IT operations. Her work enables staff and volunteers to work effectively across countries and time zones.

Yemi Adejoro

Applications Technical Support

Yemi Adejoro

Applications Technical Support

Yami Adejoro provides technical support for the institute’s applications and digital platforms. He assists staff and volunteers with troubleshooting, onboarding, and optimising the tools they use daily. Yami helps maintain system reliability and a positive user experience. He plays a key role in ensuring that technology supports, rather than hinders, the organisation’s work.

Mowbray Jones-Nelson

Senior Legal Adviser

Mowbray Jones-Nelson

Senior Legal Adviser

Mowbray Jones-Nelson serves as Senior Legal Adviser, overseeing legal risk, compliance, and governance matters. He advises on contracts, partnerships, and regulatory obligations across multiple jurisdictions. Mowbray supports the Board and management with clear, practical legal guidance. His role helps ensure that the institute operates responsibly and in line with applicable laws and ethical standards.

Brenda Ochieng

Junior Data Analyst

Brenda Ochieng

Junior Data Analyst

Brenda Ochien supports the data team by cleaning, analysing, and visualising programme data. She helps turn numbers into clear dashboards and reports that inform decisions and track impact.

Ese Jibromah

Strategy Advisor

Ese Jibromah

Strategy Advisor

Ese brings over five years of experience in research and strategic analysis, supporting AI-4AI’s leadership in making informed, high-impact decisions. He works closely with teams to refine priorities, uncover opportunities, and translate complex data into clear, actionable recommendations. Ese’s work ensures that the institute’s initiatives are both evidence-based and aligned with its mission to deliver meaningful, measurable impact.

Mariam Adisa

Junior Product Manager

Mariam Adisa

Junior Product Manager

Mariam Adisa is a Junior Product Manager at AI-4AI, focused on developing user-centered digital solutions that deliver measurable impact. She contributes to product strategy by conducting market and user research, translating insights into actionable recommendations, and collaborating closely with design, engineering, and business teams. With a strong foundation in Agile methodologies, data-driven decision-making, and stakeholder communication, Mariam helps ensure that AI-4AI’s products are both innovative and effective.

Grace Ademola-Adenle

Volunteer

Grace Ademola-Adenle

Volunteer

Grace Ademola-Adenle volunteer’s her time and skills to support AI-4AI’s programmes and operations. She assists with project tasks, coordination, and community-facing activities that help the institute reach more people.

Shamman Ugbebor

Senior Product Designer

Shamman Ugbebor

Senior Product Designer

Shamman Ugbebor leads end-to-end product design, from discovery and user research to high-fidelity interfaces. She partners closely with product managers and engineers to craft cohesive, impactful experiences across AI-4AI’s digital ecosystem.

Micheal Ajao-Olaronoye

Software Engineering Team Manager

Micheal Ajao-Olaronoye

Software Engineering Team Manager

Micheal Ajao-Olaronoye leads the software engineering team building AI-4AI’s digital products and platforms. He oversees technical delivery, code quality, and collaboration, ensuring robust, scalable solutions for users and partners.

Ridwan Ibidunni

Junior ML Engineer

Ridwan Ibidunni

Junior ML Engineer

Ridwan Ibidunni is a Junior Machine Learning Engineer with over three years of experience, helping translate complex AI technologies into practical solutions. At AI-4AI, he contributes to building and optimizing ML models, developing pipelines, and supporting AI-powered projects that deliver real-world impact. Ridwan also supports educational initiatives, helping learners and teams apply AI effectively across diverse applications.

Victor Omolaiye

Senior ML Engineer

Victor Omolaiye

Senior ML Engineer

Victor Omolaiye leads the design and deployment of advanced machine learning systems for AI-4AI. He works on architecture, optimisation, and robustness, ensuring models perform reliably in real-world African contexts.

Solomon Owusu-Ansah

Software Engineer

Solomon Owusu-Ansah

Software Engineer

Solomon Owusu-Ansah builds and maintains software systems that power AI-4AI’s products and platforms. He works across the stack to deliver reliable, user-focused tools for learners, partners, and staff.

Johnson Ayinla

Software Engineer

Johnson Ayinla

Software Engineer

Johnson Ayinla develops and supports software applications that underpin AI-4AI’s programmes and operations. He collaborates with product and design teams to deliver secure, efficient, and user-friendly systems.

Chidiebere Christopher

AI Researcher

Chidiebere Christopher

AI Researcher

Chidiebere Christopher conducts AI research focused on methods and applications that serve African needs. He works on modelling, evaluation, and dissemination, bridging academic insight, and practical impact.

Epifania Cazembe

Senior Graphics Designer

Epifania Cazembe

Senior Graphics Designer

Epifania Cazembe designs visual materials that bring AI-4AI’s brand and programmes to life. She leads on visual identity, campaigns, and creative assets across digital and print channels.