Funke Bucknor is a Nigerian lawyer and entrepreneur.
The multi-talented boss lady is regarded as one of Nigeria’s pioneering event planners.
Here is a profile on her as she turns a year older.
Early Life
Funke Bucknor was born on June 27, 1976, in Lagos, Nigeria, to the family of Segun and Shola Bucknor. Her late father was a popular musician and journalist in the 1960s and 1970s.
Her only sibling was late media personality Tosyn Bucknor.
Funke attended Fountain Nursery and Primary School, Lagos, Nigeria, and the Nigerian Navy Secondary School before proceeding to study law at the University of Lagos.
She attended the Nigerian Law School in Abuja, and in the year 2000, she was called to the bar.
Career
She practiced law briefly before working at Tie Communications, an advertising and PR agency.
In 2003, she started her event planning company, Zapphaire Events. She has since gone on to plan and organize several high-profile events within and outside Nigeria.
Funke is the author of The Essential Bridal Handbook, which was born out of the need to inform and educate brides on how to plan a flawless event. The book also serves as a journal and resource book, where people can get all the tips they need on planning their event and managing their budget.
Personal Life
Bucknor is married to Onome Obruthe, with whom she has two children.
Awards
She is a recipient of many notable awards.
- “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Nigeria’s most prestigious youth awards platform, The Future Awards, in 2006.
- In 2007, she was named “Wedding Planner of the Year” by the Wedding Planner magazine.
- CNN International’s Inside Africa featured her in 2011 for her extraordinary work planning a Nigerian royal wedding. She was also awarded the Go2Girl Life Achievement Award that same year.
- In 2012, she was awarded the Nigerian Events Awards for outstanding contribution to the events industry.
- YNaija listed her in its “10 Most Powerful Under-40s in Business” in 2014.
- In 2016, she was listed in the BBC’s 100 Women series.