John Alamu: One Man, Multipotentiality – Global Businesses from Africa
John Alamu is a Nigerian entrepreneur, statistician, and business leader. He is the founder and Group Managing Director of CapitalSage Holdings, a multinational conglomerate with businesses in key sectors of the economy, driven by a vision for Africa’s financial and economic transformation.
Founded in 2014, CapitalSage Holdings has evolved from a Nigerian microfinance entity into a powerful conglomerate operating across fintech, agribusiness, FMCG, and healthcare sectors. The company has expanded its footprint into The Gambia, Uganda, Kenya, Senegal, and the UAE. CapitalSage Holdings’ impact spans financial inclusion and economic empowerment, fueled by Alamu’s dedication to redefining Africa’s growth potential.
As GMD, John steers the company’s growth strategy, ensuring alignment with board objectives and stakeholder interests while maintaining a forward-looking perspective on market trends. His responsibilities include driving CapitalSage Holdings’ vision and providing strategic counsel to the board, reinforcing the organization’s position in the industry.
John’s strategic vision focuses on facilitating financial inclusion for millions, particularly the underserved and unbanked, through CapitalSage Technology’s brands, Kolomoni and Ercas. With over 60,000 agents and merchants, CapitalSage Technology (the fintech arm of CapitalSage Holdings) provides seamless banking and payment solutions across urban and remote areas, promoting wealth-building opportunities. The company’s fintech ventures include Kolomoni Microfinance Bank (in Nigeria and The Gambia) and Ercas, which provide empowering financial solutions across Africa.
In agribusiness, Alamu’s Johnvents Group, with its combined 38,000 metric tonnes of cocoa processing capacity in Akure and Oluji, is Nigeria’s largest cocoa processing company. Through its agribusiness subsidiaries, Johnvents exports semi-finished cocoa products and other commodities, such as sesame seeds and soybeans, worldwide, strengthening Nigeria’s position in the global cocoa market.
Beyond profits, John Alamu promotes sustainable practices through the Johnvents Cocoa Sustainability and Farmers’ Empowerment Programme, which aims to empower 150,000 farmers by 2030. The programme supports sustainable farming practices and enhances farmers’ livelihoods, reinforcing his commitment to social impact.
John Alamu combines strategic foresight with resilient leadership, driving CapitalSage toward a prosperous, inclusive Africa. Before assuming his role at CapitalSage Holdings, he consulted on various agricultural value chain projects, contributing to the development and implementation of impactful agricultural programs across Nigeria.
John’s career includes roles such as Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist for the 2SCALE/SMS Project at the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Local Consultant with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). His expertise extends to large-scale agricultural surveys and impact evaluations, with notable contributions to research projects for organizations like WHO, IFDC, and KIT Royal Tropical Institute.
John’s professional journey is further supported by his active engagement in industry workshops and conferences, such as the IFDC M&E Workshop in Burkina Faso, the HarvestPlus Global Management Meeting in Turkey, and others across Africa and Asia. Through these experiences, he has continued to hone his skills in monitoring and evaluation, agricultural productivity, and data analysis.
Academically, John holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Statistics.
John’s multipotentiality allows him to adapt across diverse functions, making him a dynamic leader and innovator in Nigeria’s business and agricultural sectors.
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