Funke Bucknor-Obruthe’s Journey From Being A Lawyer To Nigeria’s Foremost Event Planner

Funke Bucknor-Obruthe is a Nigerian entrepreneur and lawyer who is the founder and CEO of Zapphaire Events and is regarded as one of Nigeria’s pioneering event planners.

Background

Bucknor-Obruthe was born June 27 1976 to Segun and Shola Bucknor in Lagos State, Southwestern Nigeria and began her basic and secondary school education at Fountain Nursery and Primary School, Lagos and Nigeria Navy Secondary School, Lagos before she proceeded to study Law at the University of Lagos. In 2000, she was called to bar after attending the Nigerian Law School in Abuja.

Lawyer Cum Entrepreneur

After practicing law briefly, Bucknor-Obruthe was employed at Tie Communications, an advertisement agency, where she worked for a short period. In 2002, her love for event planning made her start Zapphaire Events, an independent event planning entreprise. She has since gone on to plan and organize several high-profile events within and outside Nigeria and has won several awards and recognitions including being featured in CNN’s Inside Africa for planning a Nigerian royal wedding.

She is the author of ‘The Essential Bridal Handbook’.

Personal Life

Bucknor-Obruthe is married to Onome Obruthe with whom she has two children. She is the elder sister of Nigerian media personality Tosyn Bucknor.

Awards & Recognition

Future Award for ‘Entrepreneur of the Year'(2006), the Wedding Planner Magazine Award for ‘Wedding Planner of the Year'(2007), Go2girl Life Achievement Awards (2011) and Nigerian Events Awards for Outstanding Contribution to the Events Industry (2012).

In 2014, Nigerian online magazine YNaija listed Bucknor-Obruthe in its “10 Most Powerful Under-40s in Business” and In 2016, she was listed in the BBC’s 100 Women series.