Getting to know your EXCO: Q&A Session with Funke Agbor
Q: Hi Funke, can you please share with us a few words about who you are ?
A: My name is Funke (Olufunke) Agbor. I was born in Lagos Nigeria 63 years ago and have lived there all my life. I studied law at the University of Lagos and took three maritime law courses at University College London as part of my LLM. Maritime law practice was a very niche area at the time in Nigeria and there were only a handful (literally) of lawyers at the time I qualified who were maritime lawyers and no female maritime lawyers whatsoever. It was very exotic being a female maritime lawyer it was like being a special breed or specie of human and it was exciting too….going to the ports, having to board an arrested ship offshore, in the middle of the waters. Also seemed mildly dangerous! Interesting times!
Q: What was your first job as a lawyer?
A: I worked for 7 years including on Saturdays with one of only 4 or 5 maritime lawyers in Lagos. I travelled a lot as I had to go to the courts and ports in other coastal cities to deal with shipping matters or cases we had.
Q: What did you do after that?
A: I joined my firm as a Partner and I have remained here ever since 1993, growing from scratch and leading both the shipping and dispute resolution teams. It has been exciting building our firm and now almost 30 years later I am proud that we are a leading commercial law firm in Nigeria. In 2016, I was given the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, I was the 20th female lawyer to be so appointed and the first female maritime lawyer too. Very proud of this.
Q: What else have you done?
A: I have been involved in the Nigerian Maritime Law Association almost immediately after I began my working life in 1985. Sometime after I joined I became the Assistant Secretary, then the Secretary, then the 2nd VP then 1st VP until I became the first female President of the Association in April 2021. There have only been 4 presidents of the Association since its inception, and I am just the 5th.
I have also been a member and past president of WISTA Nigeria.
I am also a Trustee in a foundation set up in part to get children off the streets.
Q: and now you are one of our newest EXCO-members?
A: Yes, and I am delighted that I am. We have had Louis Mbanefo as a Councillor before, but still new for me. I am trying to find my feet. There is so so much going on, but I know my new friends and colleagues will guide me. They are already doing so. I thank them and look forward to playing an impactful role on the Council.
Q: What would you like to accomplish as EXCO member?
A: I don’t have as yet a full picture of what the goals and objectives of the new Exco are but I am keen to share its aspirations. I would also perhaps like to see more African countries represented at the CMI and would be happy to help drive that. I am aware that it is on the CMI agenda as an organization and Paula (lovely lady) is leading that drive and did reach out to the Nigeria NMLA in this regard. It was a nice feeling I have to say. I find that people are very receptive when you reach out to them and I am sure we can do that with more African countries.