VICE CHAIRMAN - Amb. Jonathan Oluwole Coker – OON

He was appointed Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, a position he held for three years, during which period relationship between Nigeria and China grew tremendously and impacted considerably and positively, the economies of both Nigeria and China.

 

While he was in China, he was honoured with the position of Advisor to the China-Africa Business Council Advisory Board by the United Nations Development Programme Coordinator in China. Nigeria still counts him as an expert on Nigeria/China, Africa/China relations as he was an active player in the process leading to the organisation of the first-ever summit of the forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) He was Eight Years Nigeria Ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire.

 

He played a very significant role in the emergent political process in Cote D’Ivoire, the neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone. He was later called and appointed the overall protocol boss of Nigeria to oversee and serve as the Chief of State Protocol, working closely with the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1999 – 2004.

 

He has a completed Thirty Five years of experience in the Foreign Service of Nigeria and has served as Head of Chancery and Ambassador in the following Countries: Embassy of Nigeria, Conakry, Guinea - 1978 - 1981 Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations office in Geneva, Switzerland - 1981 - 1982 Embassy of Nigeria, Buenos Aires, Agentina - 1984 - 1987 Ambassador of Nigeria to Cote D’Ivoir, Abidjan - 1991 – 1999 Ambassador of Nigeria to China, Vietnam and Mongolia – 2004 March – 2007 June In his earlier career, he served as an Assistant Secretary; Translator/Interpreter to the Nigerian Head of State, late General Murtala Mohammed in 1976, also to the Nigerian Head of State, General Olusegun Obasanjo in 1978.

 

He is an alumni of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University – OAU), Ile-ife with B.A (Hons) French. He also attended Institutos Mangold, Madrid, Spain and University of Madrid, Spain. Alumni of the University of Paris, Sorbonne, France and the Polytechnic of Central London, Red Lion Square, Holborn, United Kingdom.

 

Honours received to his credit include:

Commander of the National Order of Cote D’Ivoir - 25/2/1999 - Cote D’Ivoir

Commander of the Legion of Honour of France - 21/9/1999 – France

Certificate of Recognition of Effort by H.E Vice President Atiku Abubakar (GCON) – 2002

Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) - 16/12/2003 - Nigeria

 

He speaks many International languages which include: English, Spanish, French (Working Languages), Portuguese, German (Writes and Understands) Yoruba (Mother tongue) and Hausa (second Nigeria Language) He is currently the chairman of Intoljpi Environ Management Systems, for Integrated Waste, Health and Environmental Management.