Adisa has been a member and chair of ABDF since its inception in 1996. He is a BA Hon. Combined Studies Graduate (Law major, English minor). Adisa has 8 years experience as a manager in both the retail and voluntary sector, 2 years experience as a Home Office adviser to the Prison Service, 3 years experience as a consultant for Crime Concern, and 3 years experience as an equalities and diversity manager for Connexions Nottingham.

Adisa was one of the founder members of the organization along with Paul Grant. Their original idea was for an Afrikan Land Investment project. This developed into the Afrikan Business Development Fund which was officially inaugurated in November 1996 when Adisa was elected as chair. He has remained as chair ever since and under his stewardship the organisation has grown from strength to strength.

Adisa is a keen writer and excellent poet. In his spare time he has written various screenplays, pieces of prose and poetry. He has also performed some of his poetry and they have been extremely well-received.

He is a passionate advocate of Afrikan liberation and his actions reflect his words. Adisa is a man of uncompromising principle, honesty and integrity who works arduously for the company. In addition to being the company Chair he is a member of the Property sub-group and is often involved in the manual and administrative tasks involved in property management.

Adisa’s motivation for being a part of ABDF is not for personal benefit but for the empowerment of Afrikan people world-wide.

He lives with his wife Zuri and their adorable children Ayanna and Ayodele. As a husband and a father he is second to none: an absolute Afrikan king and warrior.

Mark has been a member of the ABDF since its inauguration in November 1996. He has served as ABDF Joint-Chair for two years and is the company’s Finance Director and Company Secretary. He is an experienced manager in private enterprises and qualified with distinction in Business administration to Masters level. Mark is currently a Company Director for Dartex Coatings working in Nottingham.

Zuri has been a member of the ABDF since 1999 and currently serves as the Membership Secretary. She qualified as a barrister in 1993 and practiced in London till 1997. Thereafter she undertook employment at Nottingham Law School on the Bar Vocational Course where she trains law graduates to qualify as barristers. Additionally she is a trainer on the Higher Rights courses for qualified solicitors. In addition to an LLB she has an LLM in advanced litigation.

Zuri is a committed advocate for Afrikan liberation and has a history of working in the voluntary sectory with organizations concerned with the advancement of Afrikan people. In this regard, amongst other things, she has been treasurer of the Hadhari-Nari Women’s group in Derby, chair of Unity Housing Association; joint co-ordinator of Omololu (a youth group for children of dual heritage) and co-ordinator for Circle of Sisters a meeting and empowerment group for Afrikan women. Zuri has also worked as a housing benefits officer and welfare rights and legal officer.

Zuri joined the ABDF because she believed in its ideology and principles and was impressed by the credibility and integrity of the members. She was the company’s first Company Secretary and was heavily involved in transforming the organisation from an unicorporated association to a company.

Zuri spent five years in Jamaica (from 14 to 19) where she completed her high school and college education. She has very positive memories of that experience and tries to bring the positives of that experience to bear on young people that she is in contact with here.

She is passionate about dance – particularly salsa dance and has visited Cuba on numerous occasions to expand her dance knowledge. Her trips to Cuba have also broadened her knowledge about Afrikan religion and cosmology and she has adapted some of the practices she has learnt into her life.

In addition to her job as a lecturer, Zuri runs a regular and successful salsa class in Nottingham.

She can be described as easy-going, fun and caring.

She lives with her husband Adisa and their beautiful children Ayanna and Ayodele. She loves being a mother and adores her husband.

Lenford (Ifatokun) Vassell has been a member investor of the ABDF since April 1999 and currently serves as Finance Director. Lenford Ifatokun joined the ABDF because he believed in its ideology and principles and was impressed by the vision, credibility and integrity of its founders and members.

Lenford Ifatokun is a committed advocate for Afrikan development / liberation and has a history of working in the voluntary sector for over 30 years with organizations concerned with the advancement of Afrikan people. In this regard, amongst other things, he was a founder member of Tuntum Housing Association, PATRA, Karibu House and BIIB. He has held several posts within these organisations ranging from active member to chair. He has also sat on various committees involved in the education of our young people such as Matsimela, Sheifton, and TRY.

Born in Salt River, Clarendon Jamaica Lenford Ifatokun joined his parents in Nottingham in 1967. He has four children and one grand-daughter and is married to his Nubian Queen, Delores, and is an elder.

Lenford Ifatokun is passionate about travelling and meeting other Afrikan’s from around the world and can claim to be on his second time around the globe. His trips to Gambia, Ghana, America (North & South), Kemet, Asia, Fiji, Cuba and Hawaii have also broadened his knowledge about Afrikan religion and cosmology and has endeavoured to incorporated these learnt knowledge into his life.

Lenford Ifatokun is a Probation Officer and is currently employed by the National Probation Service based in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. He has been employed by The Probation Service since 1987 (on and off) and graduated at Sheffield in 1992. He has worked in Nottingham City & County, Leeds, Luton and Derbyshire. Lenford Ifatokun has over 10 years experience as a middle manager in both the public and voluntary sector. Taking a year’s retirement in 2000-01, to spend more time with his children and to travel, he returned to the Probation Service in Derbyshire in Feb 2001.

In addition to being a Probation Officer, Lenford Ifatokun is an investor in a number of businesses including Nubian Natural and he and his Queen heads up a team of distributors for Nubian Heritage products in the UK. This has also helped him develop financial intelligence and expertise in relation to the importance of multiple streams of income.

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