The people who build
with government workers.

Abiola trained as a sociologist and earned his PhD, but what drives his work is a frustration: rigorous research circulates in academic networks and never reaches the institutions that could act on it. The 1864 Institute is his attempt to close that gap from the inside out.

His background spans research and applied development work in Nigeria, from field experiments with public institutions to co-founding organisations that put evidence into practice. He leads institutional strategy and government partnerships.

Abiola is an alumnus of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), the University of Ibadan (UI), and Humboldt University of Berlin.

Nneka believes good evidence should be uncomfortable to ignore. Her doctorate is in economics, and her research on gender, institutions, and development in Africa is rigorous enough to hold up to scrutiny and grounded enough to land with decision-makers.

She is the methodological backbone of the Institute. Every tool we build, every finding we publish, every claim we make passes through her. She sets the bar and keeps it there.

Nneka earned a first-class degree at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and a master's with distinction at the University of Ibadan (UI).

Ideas without execution are just intentions, and Akintoye is the reason the 1864 Institute's work actually gets done. An MBA and certified Project Management Professional (PMP), he designs the systems that track whether our tools are being used, what is changing because of them, and what needs to improve.

He manages operations, project delivery, and impact measurement, making sure every engagement ends with evidence that is honest, documented, and replicable. He previously worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and the British Council.

Akintoye trained at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University.