Pathways to the ILI: Franklin E. Ibemessie
By Olivia Wahl
In October of 2006, the International Law Institute welcomed a group of colleagues to Washington DC to participate in a 4-week training on International Procurement. With fruitful discussions and negotiation simulations in the classroom as well as enriching site visits to government landmarks, we were able to make close connections with the participants. Franklin E. Ibemessie, a procurement officer from Sierra Leone, sought an even deeper understanding of the subject. Already well versed in procurement, he had previously conducted trainings for 19 local councils in his home country. This course at the International Law Institute, working and learning under Raghavan Srinivasan, the former Chief of Procurement at the World Bank, promised that deeper understanding. “I remember my time [at the] ILI well,” Franklin said while reflecting on his four weeks of training in Washington. “I remember helping one of my friends purchase a laptop at the Pentagon Mall using procurement principles!”
Since that training in 2006, Franklin has spread his knowledge far and wide. He has designed and delivered dozens of workshops in 13 countries across 5 continents. Noting one of those trainings, Franklin said “I used to give free online procurement seminars in Sierra Leone during the COVID pandemic. Teaching is my preferred way of giving back.” Franklin has expertise in the field of procurement, with over 20 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. In addition, he has substantial project expertise, including being a project management professional (PMP). He is presently the CEO of a consulting group and a senior procurement advisor at MCC.
At the ILI, we are so lucky to see our participants flourish and share their knowledge. We were pleased to welcome Franklin Ibemessie back to the ILI on March 15th. He led a seminar on case studies of FIDIC Contracts. From studying procurement contracts as a student here 15 years ago, to now joining the ILI as a lecturer, Franklin’s ILI experience has come full circle.
