This document provides a citation on John O. Isemede, outlining his extensive career experience in international trade and business across Africa and globally. It details that he has over 30 years of experience working in both the private and public sectors in Nigeria and across Africa. It highlights some of his roles, including as Director General of NACCIMA from 2010 to 2015 and now as a UNIDO Consultant. The document provides details on his educational background and positions held at various companies, organizations, and projects related to international trade, business, and economic development in Africa.

1. A CITATION ON JOHN O. ISEMEDE (B.Sc. PG Dip, MBA, Hon-Doctorate, M.I.Ex MIESm, F.I.Ex)
John Isemede, immediate past Director General and the CEO (2010 to 2015) of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and
Agriculture (NACCIMA) and now a Consultant to UNIDO on Product value chain Development (Export Development on the Quality Infrastructure in
Nigeria) An international Sales and Marketing Expert who speaks the major Nigerian languages of Hausa, Yoruba and Edo and, two International
languages of French and English to cover operations across the World. He is a full member of the Institute of Export, Peterborough, UK, a fellow in Nigeria
and a Faculty member of the Institute of Export and Shipping Management, Accra- Ghana. He works closely with Chambers and Membership based
organizations across the Globe. A Council member of the “Committee on the Nigerian Export Quality Policy” inaugurated on 18 August 2004, served in
the Nigeria’s trade policy review committee headed by Prof Ade Oyejide of the University of Ibadan in 2011 to design a new trade policy for Nigeria .He
was a member of the Team charged with the formulation of a new Industrial policy for Nigeria inaugurated by the Minister of Trade and Investment.
Dr.Olusegun Agangan (CON) on 14th March, 2012. He is a recipient of the Investment Promotion ICON award of the year 2012 by the African Business
leadership magazine in recognition of his contribution to Africa’s economic growth and development through Trade and Investments promotion (FDI) into
Nigeria. In 2013, he was appointed by the Secretary to the Government of Nigeria to serve as a member of the National steering committee on the 2nd
Nigerian Peer Review mechamism (APRM) of NEPAD chaired by the former Senate President His. Excellency Sen. Ken Nnamani (GCON)
He began his elementary School education in Kaduna and completed same at Government Primary School, Benin City. Secondary School education at
Edo College, Benin City. He holds a B.Sc. (Hons.) degree in Business Administration of the University of Benin, read French on part-time basis at Alliance
Francaise, Lagos, Post-graduate Diploma in Export-Marketing of the University of Lagos, MBA in International Business and Globalization at the famous
Paris graduate School of Management, Paris, France, an alumnus of the 2011 Chamber Academy programme of TOBB/University of Economics and
Technology, .Ankara, Turkey. In June, 2011 was awarded an Hon Doctorate degree in Business Administration from the Commonwealth University, Belize
through Albion College, London Graduate School, England for his contributions on trade and integration in the Continent .In the same year, for excelling
and risen to become an Authority in International Business and commerce across the globe he was honoured by his alma-mater, Edo College, Benin City
with the prestigious ECOBITE Award.
He started his career in Banking; 1980-84 in United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) while as a Student in the University and had his National service (NYSC
1983-84) primary assignment at the Falomo Branch, Ikoyi –Lagos of the same Bank. He laid this foundation of imports, exports and international payment
systems in the Financial Institutions before moving on to publishing as a Salesman i.e. Heinemann Publishers Plc. As a trainee, he was under the tutelage
of the Vice President of the Company and was in charge of foreign affairs - importation; publishing of some foreign titles like Things fall Apart to the
ECOWAS market, Universities in Central Africa and the ACP Countries to generate the needed forex for Nigeria.
In 1990, he moved to an excellent multinational giant, Unilever International as the Export/Head of New market Development Manager to manage
Produce export but when he got to the company, he was surprised to find out that there was nothing on ground as regards to sales across borders known
as Export of Unilever brands to increase turnover/volume for the Company. He then took this as a challenge to establish the Department under the Sales
Director by establishing the Department. He went a step further to set up structures such the registration of all the products under the ECOWAS TLS and
Manufacture-in-Bond Scheme to guide operations. He managed the Unit for a decade and was deeply involved in the management of the Group across
the Sub-region on joint sourcing, imports and export operations in all the Unilever companies in West Africa, Africa, Middle East Group (AMG) and
beyond. His last assignment in Unilever was Foods Manager West Africa in Accra (Ghana) as his job Station or Centre for two years while on
internationalization/expatriation to other Countries for his employers.
He joined Cowbell Milk now Promasidor West Africa Limited in 1999 and served as Sales/Marketing Director in more than five countries with an initial job
station in Cotonou, Benin Republic and in 2001 moved to Cameroon to expand operations in the Central African States. In 2002, the Government sought
for assistance from FAO in Rome, Italy to assist in the Food Security Programme (REF. UTF/NIR/047/NIR Annex IV Project – 2001), and was assigned
by the Country to play the role of Sales/Export-Marketing Expert to the Nation on Quality/value added Export out of Nigeria. He obeyed the clarion call and
was in Abuja on sabbatical for 18 months to support his Country on Agribusiness matters. He later moved to the biggest in Africa, DANGOTE GROUP
2004-2010 to also set up another Export Unit and while on vacation in Dangote Industries Limited moved over to Ghana to work as the Chief Operating
Officer (COO) of a world class ICT Company to coordinate Sales activities in the African markets .He moved to NACCIMA, The apex/National Chamber of
Commerce in Nigeria in 2010 as the DG/CEO for four and half years. In 2015 he crossed over to UNIDO to handle one of the United Nations/EU Projects
at Abuja on Value Chain management to support the OPS in the Country.
He has worked in both the Private and Public trade sectors from his native country for close to 30 years across Africa. Widely travelled i.e. across 5
Continents on trade matters, has helped both the Government and the organized private sector in International Trade Fairs, Seminars, and Trade
Missions etc. He has produced Books on Export Business and one of the series is Exporting in West Africa “A practical Guide” of over 400 pages is on the
Internet for all to see and know where to find markets for our products. He donated over 500 copies of his Books to Schools, Universities, Radio/TV
Stations, Banks and Chief Executive of Companies across the sub-region and beyond. See more on the Internet i.e. Search Google Website through <
Exporting in West Africa by John Isemede>. He has other titles on Export Business to his credit one of them is, Mastering Business in West Africa and the
other Book is Export Marketing Management for competitive advantage supervised by Prof. C.S Achumba of the University of Lagos in 2012.He is well
versed in some of the pitfalls of selling overseas and managing export business chain which most donor agencies, Export Promotion bodies and
Universities had acknowledged across the globe. Some of the Books are practical guides to help others explore trade opportunities and give guidance on
how to get started in International Business. His Books has established him as a writer of note whom much should still be expected
Prepared by, Prof. (Prince) Famous Izedonmi BSc, MSc, MBA, PhD, ACA, FCA, FSM, FNIM
University of Benin, Benin City. Nigeria

2. STATEMENT OF SUITABILITY
JOHN OKEIZUANDUE ISEMEDE
John Okeizuandue ISEMEDE was the Chairman of Paris Graduate School of Management old Students’ Association in West Africa in
2009, a private and public sectors manager who provides consultancy services on part-time basis at some capacity building Centers
(Companies, Investors and Universities) in Nigeria, Africa and across the Globe, this is a free service at weekends designed to update the
human capacity needs of our future and International Managers in the Continent. He started his international career development in the
United Bank for Africa Plc in 1980 while in the University and has put in close to 30 years in the best multinational and International
companies in Africa. His past jobs and assignments made him to cover the entire Country as a Sales Manager and across ECOWAS
member States/Africa by Road, Air and Sea as International Consultant, Expert and Country Manager. The various assignments in the
past also afforded him the opportunity of networking with relevant Government Agencies, Banks (NEXIM/AFREXIM), SMIs/MSMEs, Some
Private NGOs, CBOs, MBOs, Insititions like NEPAD, CIPE in the USA, United Nations bodies, ECOWAS/FEWACCI Secretariat at Abuja
and donor Agencies like FAO, AfDB, IFAD, USAID/WATH, ENABLE and USDA in the conception, design, implementation and coordination
of trade policies across the globe. (More on his Passports and other relevant Papers that can be made available if needed)
His works on ECOWAS integration and the trade needs of nations exposed him adequately to the trade practices with most of the senior
governments officials in the Sub-region from his early days in Unilever UK with Mr. Brian Stevenson on cross border investments in Africa
from Egypt to South Africa and also covered field Sales and research assignments with Engr. S. O. Ohiosimuan to develop trade channels
for the Unilever Group in the Continent. He has participated in most of the local/International Trade fairs, Trade and Solo
Exhibitions, some of our Presidential /Trade visits and signing of MoUs between Nigeria and other Countries in the last 20
years
The other important assignments
- He has worked as Export Manager and Head of Sales in more than Five ECOWAS countries, a member of the Federation of
West African Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
- He has covered research work on import and export transactions, logistics, new market development, shipping and Customs tariff
harmonization e.g. The Common External Tariff in more than 10 countries.
- He has worked with government officials in the English speaking countries of West Africa, Ecobank Transnational Team, AfDB
officials while in Cote D’Ivoire, the L’UEMOA Team of the Francophone side in Burkina Faso to understand the trade
arrangements of the Sub-regional bodies in West Africa.
- He has participated in most of WAEMU (CFA) and other Economic Integration Conferences in Africa.
He has travelled by Road from Nigeria to Senegal, Nigeria to Algerian border in the North and Nigeria to Cameroon/Chad to have a feel of
both the Customs and Immigration officials in West and Central Africa States. For his support to both the Private/Public trade sectors in
West Africa, he was recommended for the National honours merit Award in 2005. See Thisday Newspaper of 03/09/05, Page 50 (He was
number 5 on the Edo State list). His vast experience in the development of new Markets, Agriculture, Sales, Risk Management/Insurance,
Business Standards, Trade links, Research activities, movement of goods, contacts with senior government officials and proceeds
repatriation across borders as laid down by the WTO, IMF, WACH now WAMA, Bill for collection and the normal L/C routes can also be
seen in his Curriculum vitae below.
He has handled research assignments with the officials of ECOWAS Secretariat on economic integration and financial cooperation
between 1991 and 1999. He was also supported by members of Staff of ECOWAS Computer Centre in Lome-Togo to get statistical data
for the registration of 10 (Ten) companies in Four countries i.e. Nigeria, Benin, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire under the ECOWAS Trade
Liberalization Scheme in the past.
The assignments before accepting the position of the Director General of NACCIMA was a project on the Market expansion programmes
of DANGOTE Group that we can all see across Africa to day. This was on Sales/Export projects with the Team in Lagos to cover research
assignments in some Countries across Africa i.e. developing new markets for the Group. He worked on intra African trade, Logistics,
Customs procedures and documentation matters, tariff issues with the Customs across ECOWAS and payment systems with Banks in the
sub-region and beyond. He started from Lagos Head office at Falomo-Ikoyi and Later to Sugar Plc as Ag- Head of Sales and Marketing
with Managers in three (3) other locations in the Sub region, Lagos-Nigeria, Accra-Ghana and Dakar- Senegal for the adequate coverage
of the zone from 2004 to 2010. He is bilingual (English and French languages) and has good understanding of the Computer which has
been of great benefit to him when gathering and processing data (information) without secretarial support while on the field.
He is now a Consultant to the United Nations/European Union on project No.130220 at the UNIDO office at Abuja as the National Expert to
build Human capacity needed to improve competiveness of Nigeria in the World trade.

3. Prepared by, Chief Franklin Iriobe ACA, FCA