Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), has appointed Ambassador Ayoola Olukanni as its new director general.
Olukanni, according to a statement from the chamber, replaced Emmanuel Cobham, who recently left the association.
Olukanni obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in political science from the University of Ife in 1979 (now Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU), Masters of International Law and Diplomacy (MILD) from University of Lagos in 1991.
He joined the Nigerian diplomatic service in July 1980 after his National Youth Service in Jos, Plateau State. Olukanni was posted to Nigerian Embassy in Brussels, Belgium, which also serves as the Nigerian Mission to the European Union between 1982 and 1983.
In 1984, he returned to school for postgraduate studies in International Law and graduated with post-graduate diploma in International Law from the University of Lagos.
Olukanni served in the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations New York between December 1986 and April 1989, covering the work of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 6th Committees of the UN as well as the Security Council.
He was involved in the work of the UN spanning economic and financial matters; South-South Cooperation, Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC); Social, cultural and humanitarian and legal affairs as well as Peace and Conflict Resolution and UN Peace Keeping operations.
Between 1991 and 1994, he worked at the Bilateral Economic Cooperation Division (BECD) at the Headquarters, (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs).