Shabanji Opukah
Shabanji Opukah worked for British American Tobacco for 18 years and now works with Rosebank Consulting, an environmental and social development consultancy in Nigeria.[1]
Tobacco Links
According to his biography on the Rosebank website, Opukah worked for 18 years with British American Tobacco, including 12 at its London headquarters. He was 'responsible for policy formulation and implementation on human rights, the environment and biodiversity'.
There are numerous references to Opukah in the tobacco legacy documents however a useful glimpse into his role is provided by the Christian Aid report BAT In Its Own Words. It details how he worked to use the language of corporate social responsibility to blunt criticisms of the tobacco firm from outside organisations.[2]
Other Activities
According to Rosebank's website he is also an active member of the Royal Commonwealth Society (though this has not been independently verified) and the Royal Overseas League (also not independently verified) and is currently Vice Chairman of the Board of the Royal African Society (RAS).
Opukah is not mentioned on the Royal African Society website in any capacity though according to Charity Commission he has been a trustee, at least at one point.[3] However the latest filings do not list him as such.[4]
According to its latest annual report, BAT was the biggest single private donor to the RAS giving £20,000 in 2009 and 2010. [5]
Also at Rosebank is Kehinde Johnson who was Corporate & Regulatory Affairs Director at BAT in Nigeria.
Notes
- ↑ Rosebank Consulting Team Rosebank Consulting website, Accessed September 2011
- ↑ Christian Aid, BAT In Its Own Words, 2005
- ↑ Charity Commission, RAS Accounts, 23 November 2007
- ↑ Charity Commission, RAS Trustees, website, Accessed December 2011
- ↑ Royal African Society, Annual Report, website, 2010, p8
