Core Officers, Specialist Consultants and Directors

Martins I. Imudia (Managing Director)

He is an attorney at law, with a Master of Laws degree from Tulane Law School, New Orleans, U.S.A. He has broad international experience having served as the Managing Director of the U.S.A. based African Chamber of Commerce and Managing Partner in the law offices of Enow & Imudia, with extensive experience and practice in the area of multinational based development projects. He also served as counsel to IMSCO, a category II NGO under the United Nations in New York.

For over 15 years, he has worked either as a consultant or a team member on different agricultural based projects throughout Africa. He is a member of Louisiana Bar Association, Louisiana Solar Energy Association, and World Trade Center. He has authored several publications including a contribution on Business Development in Africa published by Journal of Commerce in New York. Mr. Imudia is currently working on a publication: Orchestrating Mindset Shift in Sustainable Livelihoods (SL) Business.

Mr. Imudia is the Managing Director of BFIL.

Prof. Gregory Lutz, Ph.D. (Lead Aquaculturist)

He is a Specialist and Professor of Fisheries, LSU Aquaculture Research Station. He has research interests in quantitative genetics, alternative species commercialization and practical genetic evaluation through field trials. After earning his PhD from LSU, Dr. Lutz planned, designed and subsequently supervised the construction, outfitting and operation of the largest commercial aquaculture facility in the State of Louisiana.

His most current publication is titled: "Production economics and potential competitive dynamics of commercial tilapia culture in the Americas". In: B.A. Costa-Pierce and J.E. Rackocy (Editors), Tilapia Aquaculture in the Americas, Vol. 2. World Aquaculture Society, Baton Rouge, LA. Prof. Lutz also supervises UNIUYO research activities on and off PFL sites.

Prof. Lutz is BFIL's Lead Aquaculturist.

H. Rouse Caffey (Lead Rice Specialist)

Dr. H. Rouse Caffey is an international authority on rice research and development. He started the first rice research program in the state of Mississippi, USA in 1958. His Ph.D. is in agronomy and rice breeding from Louisiana State University. In 1962, he was appointed as the LSU Superintendent of the Louisiana Rice Experiment Station at Crowley, a position he held until 1970 when he was moved to higher administrative duties at the LSU main office in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He served in the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station and his duties included all disciplines in diversifying Louisiana agriculture, forestry and fisheries. In 1984, he was promoted to Chancellor of the LSU AgCenter where he oversaw the university's land-grant mission for agricultural and natural resource production and outreach.

Dr. Caffey began his participation in international agriculture in 1965 and has been involved in projects and programs all over the world. In 1966, he helped to develop a national rice processing center in India. In 1969, he was the leader of a World Bank team to develop a rice processing center in Indonesia. He traveled to Ghana, West Africa that same year to initiate an upland rice project. During the 1970's and 80's, he was active in development of projects in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Burma, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, as well as programs throughout Central and South America. In the 1990's, he continued this worldwide international activities and he expanded them to include Uganda, Kenya, Ukraine, and countries in West Africa including Nigeria. He is a leader in both state and federal agricultural programs in the U.S. He has served as the national chairman of the land-grant universities budgetary unit, co-chair of the national science and education council, and national co-chair of the joint council for food and agriculture. He recently completed an evaluation of the rice milling industry in Mali as part of a USAID funded Rice Husk Study.

Dr. Caffey is the Lead Rice Specialist for BFIL.

Long Jun (Lead Cassava Specialist)

Commonly called "Mr. Cassava" Mr. Long Jun obtained his Bachelors Degree in Agric Engineering from Grains and Oil University of China. He has extensively worked in the area of cassava production and processing (starch, ethanol and flour). Mr. Long Jun is also a flour miller, having managed a wheat flour mill for over four years in China, upon completion of his bachelor's degree. He is lending his milling experience in BFIL ongoing research and development on improving cassava flour production in Nigeria. He frequents Nigeria on BFIL projects and in the next few years will spend more time developing cassava based projects with BFIL.

Mr. Jun is BFIL Lead Cassava Specialist.

Ian R.G. Horton (Aquaculture/Fisheries Manager)

Has over 30 years experience in agro and agro based industries/projects. He has worked in diverse locations, including but not limited to Mozambique, Kenya, Bahamas, Zimbabwe, Mexico, Malawi, Jamaica, Sudan, U.S.A. and Haiti, mostly under Schaffer and Associates International, LLC. He is primarily in charge of PFL site construction and development. He is a graduate of Gwebi College of Agriculture in Zimbabawe.

Mr. Horton is BFIL's Aquaculture/Fisheries Manager.

Imoh E. Markson (Financial Controller)

A certified National Accountant (CAN) with Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Accounting from University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. He has wide experience in Accounting and Finance having served in an Accounting and Audit Firm for many years.

He has worked with the Bursary department of the University of Uyo as Acting Head of Final Accounts and in the Report Unit, Shell PDC, PH as contract staff in Warehouse and Procurement department.

He is an IT Consultant and specializes in the development and installation of computerized Accounting and Finance systems.

Mr. Markson is the Financial Controller of BFIL.

Nigel Williams (Project Finance & Micro-Credit)

A B.Sc. Economics bilingual graduate and Chartered Accountant with 29 years sugar and agro based industries, project management and financial experience worldwide.

Prior to 1983, held executive management positions in Nigeria and Sudan in the road transport, telecommunications and sugar and other agro based industries sectors.

He is responsible for coordination of expatriate staff/consultants, micro financing, international donor programmes and project financing.

Sunday Adeyemo (Senior Aquaculturist - Consultant)

Mr. Adeyemo holds a Higher National Diploma in Fisheries Technology from Federal College of freshwater fisheries technology, Kainji, one of the most respected and well equipped Aquaculture/fisheries institutions in Nigeria, working in collaboration with the National Institute for freshwater fisheries research.

He has over 14 years working cognate experience in different Aquaculture field works ranging from construction and site development to management. His professional dedication, self motivated initiatives and indisputable result oriented approaches to work have earned him the opportunity to work with various recognized Farms and Agro-allied companies in different capacities. His responsibilities with those Farms, though enormous but challenging, include construction of dams for Aquaculture purposes; design and construction of ponds and fish seeds multiplication centers (hatcheries); Breeding; Fish feed formulation and general farm management. Farms served with include; Albishir Diversified Industry - New Bussa; Akugu Farm - Owerri; Nigerian Agriculture and Cooperative Bank Consultancy and Finance Company (NACB-CFC) - Kaduna and Mokwa; Darrey Farm - Lagos; Beem Fisheries - Ibadan and Ilesha; and served as NYSC assignee with the Shell Petroleum Development Company - Warri.

Before joining BFIL, he was managing a consultancy firm (Aqualife Konsult). He provided Aquaculture consultancy services to more than ten fish farms within and outside Lagos. He is a member of The Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON).

Mr. Adeyemo is a Senior Aquaculturist - consultant with BFIL.

Abdullahi M. Sani (Director and General Counsel)

Mr. Sani is an experienced corporate lawyer with over 18 years cognate experience in the areas of energy, agriculture, banking and real estate. He holds, in addition to a law degree, an MBA obtained from ESUT Business School, Lagos and previously worked as Vice Preseident/General Counsel of COSMOCORP, an international business concern with interests in oil and gas, finance, real estate and trading. He also had a stint in the Public Sector having served as Special Liaison Assistant to the Presidential Adviser on FCT Matters between August 2001 and May 2003.

Mr. Sani is a Director and General Counsel of BFIL.

Marian Schaffer (Director)

Over 15 years international experience with SAIL and presently Company Secretary and Operations Director, directing the administrative management of the company and coordinating major project activities, including support for BFIL activities.

Previously served as Assistant Project Manager on the Finchaa Sugar Project in Ethiopia and regularly travels to Addis Ababa and other project locations, assisting in contract negotiations, administrative management and government relations.

Ms. Schaffer is a Director of BFIL.