Patron

Sir Mervyn Brown KCMG, OBE

Sir Mervyn was High Commissioner in Nigeria for four and a half years (1979-1983), longer than any other British High Commissioner. After diplomatic postings in Buenos Aires, New York, Singapore and Laos, he spent his remaining career dealing with Africa, with two spells in African departments in the Foreign Office followed by appointments as Ambassador in Madagascar, High Commissioner in Tanzania and a short spell as Deputy Ambassador to the UN in New York, before his final posting to Lagos. Sir Mervyn was a teacher before he joined the Foreign Office. He maintained an interest in education and was a Trustee of St. Saviour’s School in Lagos. After retirement he became a Vice-President of the Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council and consultant to the Council of British Independent Schools in the European Community. His involvement in Nigeria continued with membership of the Executive Committee of the Britain-Nigeria Association. He later served for four years as President of the Association.


The Board of Trustees

The Trust is controlled by a Board of skilled and experienced Trustees who, between them, provide a wealth of knowledge and understanding on most matters Nigerian, derived through many years of close involvement with companies and organisations whose activities serve Nigeria. They ensure the Trust is correctly administered and managed in accordance with the rules and regulations of its governing Constitution.
Current Board members are: -

Mr Derek R. Reeves MBE
Chairman 		Derek worked for more than 30 years for UAC both in West Africa and the UK. Throughout this time he either lived in or regularly visited Nigeria. He was a director of both the UK and the Nigeria companies. After retiring in 1989 Derek did a variety of voluntary consultancy jobs in places such as Malaysia, Mauritius and Jordan. Living in Farnham he quickly became involved in the local Abbeyfield Society, which was gradually developed into providing accommodation, care and nursing for 80 elderly people. He retired from being chairman of that Society at the end of 2006.
Derek has served as Deputy Chairman of the West Africa Committee, Chairman and then President of the Britain-Nigeria Association. He was Chairman of the Trustees of The Alhaji Sir Abubakar Memorial Trust for the last thirteen years and was instrumental in the formation of the Britain-Nigeria Educational Trust.
Derek has been awarded the MBE for his charitable services through the ATB Memorial Trust and to the community in Farnham, Surrey.
Chief David H. Griffin
Vice Chairman 		Chief David Griffin has had wide business experience in West Africa having worked in Sierra Leone, Cameroon and Ghana but with the bulk of his working life being in and with Nigeria where he first arrived in 1954 to take up an appointment with Unilever. He became a Director of three companies in which Unilever had investments, Guinness Nigeria plc, Vono plc and Guinness Ghana plc, from which he retired in 1990. An Honours Graduate in Geography and Anthropology of the University of Durham, he is also a Fellow of The Royal Geographical Society. David was the longest serving Secretary of The Britain-Nigeria Association (1989-2000) and he became a Trustee in 1989.
Mr Gary M. Clark
Secretary 		Gary first became involved with Nigeria in 1974 when he joined UAC and took up a position in Lagos. That posting lasted ten years during which time he joined a number of organisations within the local business community and also served on the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Paper & Packaging Manufacturer’s Association. He then moved to Ghana for six years before returning to Unilever in London responsible for its partnership with Guinness plc. He continued to travel regularly to West Africa and remained a director of Guinness Ghana, Guinness Nigeria, Vono plc and Jos International Breweries plc until his retirement in 1995.
First as Membership Secretary and as then Secretary of The Britain-Nigeria Association, Gary has continued to be actively involved with Nigeria. He was a Trustee of The Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Memorial Trust for twelve years the last six of them as its Secretary.
Mr John R. Lee, ACIB; CeMAP
Treasurer 		John has worked in banking for over 30 years and is an Associate Director of a major London bank specialising on Nigeria/West Africa commercial issues for their private clients. He has travelled regularly to Nigeria since 1995 establishing a valuable knowledge about all major Nigerian cities.
Mr Kevin M. Rafferty, BA; FCMA
Membership Secretary 		Kevin has spent some twelve years visiting Nigeria on behalf of De La Rue plc and for eight years he was a Director of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company. Formerly he was Treasurer of The Britain-Nigeria Association from 1987 to 1994 and has been a Trustee since 1987.
Professor Lalage J. Bown, OBE, FRSE, CCIPD Lalage Bown, Emeritus Professor of Adult and Continuing Education, University of Glasgow, previously worked for 31 years in university adult education in four African countries. In Nigeria, she taught at University of Ibadan, 1960-66, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 1971-76 and University of Lagos (where she became Dean of Education) 1977-80. Through her work with adult education she established valuable contacts with many politicians, journalists, civil servants and senior business people and has travelled in most African countries and also undertaken consultancy assignments in Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, the USA and elsewhere. Her latest book (which she edited and to which she contributed) is Education in the Commonwealth: The First Forty Years.
Lalage has been involved in public service both internationally and in the UK, including having been a member of the Board of the British Council, the Governing Body of the Institute of Development Studies and the founding board of Womankind Worldwide. For 21 years she was a National Vice-President of the Townswomen's Guilds and for 6 years Joint Deputy Executive Chairperson of the Council for Education in the Commonwealth. At present she is Patron of the African Families Association and a member of the Advisory Committee on the Emeka Anyaoku Chair in Commonwealth Studies, University of London.
Mr David KO Brandler David was born in Nigeria in 1955 and has worked in the family business, which owns a tannery in Kano producing and exporting shoe leather, for the past twenty years. Son of Joe Brandler who himself spent 50 years in Nigeria based in Lagos and published a book about his experiences Out of Nigeria – Witness to a Giant’s Toils. Formerly Chairman of The Britain-Nigeria Association he travels regularly to Nigeria spending some 4 months every year there. David was a Trustee of the Alhaji Sir Abubakar Memorial Trust from November 2000.
Mr Charles (Dick) R Clarke, OBE Dick's early career was with Unilever and Gallaher until he was posted to Nigeria in January 1975 on appointment as Sales & Marketing Director of Cadbury Nigeria Ltd. He was made Chief Executive in May 1978 and held this position until his retirement in April 1989. Other responsibilities whilst in Nigeria included Vice-President of Lagos Chamber of Commerce, Deputy-Chairman of Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce and Deputy-Chairman of Nigeria Youth Trust. He was awarded the OBE in 1989. Dick has maintained his links with Nigeria through his active involvement in both The Britain-Nigeria Association and the Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Memorial Trust, including six years as its Treasurer. Dick has been a Trustee since 1994.
General (Dr.) YD Gowon General Dr Yakubu Gowon, Nigeria's former Head of State for nine years, from 1966 to 1975, joined the Board of The Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Memorial Trust as a Trustee in 1982. Through his many activities and interests General Gowon is able to offer valuable advice and guidance on many aspects of education in Nigeria.
Nigeria High Commission Representative Invaluable support and advice on how best to make the Trust’s educational projects more effective is given by the Nigerian Government through its High Commission in London. His Excellency The High Commissioner for Nigeria in the United Kingdom is represented on the Board by a senior member of his staff. Mr Garba Zakari, Minister /Head, Trade & Economic Section at the Nigeria High Commission currently represents the High Commissioner.
Mr A (‘Bayo) Oladimeji, M.Sc; CBiol MIBiol 'Bayo is a Chartered Biologist having obtained his Master's degree in Biochemistry at the University of Wales. Throughout his career he has worked in the field of medical sciences, first as a Research Assistant at the Welsh National School of Medicine and then progressing until he joined the Paediatric Research Unit at Guy's Hospital, London where he continues today. 'Bayo is a member of Professional Support Groups in Science and Education and has been actively involved, both as a participant and an organiser, in several international conferences in Nigeria and London.
He is co- founder and President of The Nigerian Patriots UK as well as founding the Nigeria Council of Elders UK and was Education Chairman for the Nigeria National Union of UK before becoming its President (1980-82 & 1985-1994). 'Bayo is Patron of the Association of Nigerians in Belgium, the Nigeria Nurses Association and the Warri Ladies Vanguard in the UK and was one of the longest serving members of the Executive Committee of The Britain-Nigeria Association.
Mr John B Smith, ACIB Until 1993 John had spent thirty-one years working in Africa for a major British Bank of which fourteen years were in Nigeria with spells in other countries, mainly Sierra Leone, Ghana, Sudan, Zambia, Lesotho and Swaziland. He has travelled extensively throughout Africa, and has acquired a good knowledge of the various countries' economies, their cultures and working practices. He has travelled widely throughout Nigeria too, and is very familiar with the South, especially the region covered by the old Mid-West.
John piloted schemes for his bank to help small-scale industries and farmers and guided inputs for various charities. After 1993, and until his retirement in 2003, John held a senior position with the City of London branch of a major Nigeria bank. Before becoming a Trustee he served as Treasurer to The Britain-Nigeria Association.
Mr John CP Storey John spent thirty-six years with De La Rue during which time he travelled extensively overseas and spent eight years living in Brazil where he was also Chairman of the Board of Governors of the British School in Rio De Janeiro thus acquiring valuable direct experience of education issues. He was a member of the Board of the Nigerian Security Printing & Minting Company, Lagos for ten years representing the interests of De La Rue plc. He was also Chairman of the Executive Committee of Canning House in London, which is the main commercial and cultural link between the UK and Latin America.
John became a life member of The Britain-Nigeria Association in 1987 serving on its Executive Committee from 1988 and then as its Chairman from 1993 to 2000 and then as the Association’s President since 2003. John joined the Board of Trustees in July 1993.
Mr Tony RP Williams, ACIB Tony joined Barclays Bank D.C.O. (later Barclays International) straight from school in 1959. After training in London and Liverpool he was posted to the Sudan and thence to Cameroon by way of Nigeria in 1965. His banking career has touched Nigeria regularly since then particularly during the time he was responsible for Africa at Midland Bank (1981/1999). Following retirement he set up a financial consultancy and in 2002 became a Non-Executive Director of FBN Bank (UK) Ltd, the British subsidiary of First Bank of Nigeria plc – Nigeria’s oldest bank, and continues to visit Nigeria in this role.
From 2000 to 2007 he was Treasurer of both the Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Memorial Trust and the Britain Nigeria Association.