Sarafa Tunji Ishola

Sarafa Ishola was born on 25 November 1960 in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria, to Alhaji Ibrahim Ishola Tairu and Alhaja Amudalat Ajiun Ishola.^[6]

After secondary school, Ishola worked in pharmaceutical sales at Wellcome Nigeria Limited and earned a marketing diploma from The Chartered Institute of Marketing. In 1981, he completed an investment course at Southwest London College in the United Kingdom.^[7]

In 1983, Ishola served the National Youth Service Corps in Kaduna State, teaching economics, marketing, and business statistics at the Federal College of Education, Katsina.^[8]

In 2009, Ishola attended the Leaders in Development programme at Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.^[9] In 2011, he enrolled in an MBA programme at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.^[10]

Sarafa Tunji Ishola was elected chairman of Abeokuta North Local Government in 1997 and served until 1998.^[11][12] During this period, he chaired the Conference of Local Government Council Chairmen in Ogun State.^[13][14]

In 1999, he was appointed special assistant to the Minister of State for Finance, Jubril Martins-Kuye, and served until 2003.^[15][16] In June 2003, Governor Gbenga Daniel appointed Ishola as Secretary to the Ogun State Government.^[17]

On 26 July 2007, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua appointed Ishola as Minister of Mines and Steel Development, and he served until he left the cabinet on 29 October 2008 following a ministerial reshuffle.^[18][19]

On 1 July 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari named Ishola among the non career ambassador designates, and the Senate process concluded later that month.^[20][21][22] He was posted as Nigeria's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom on 13 January 2021 and assumed duties later that year, with his tenure ending upon recall in 2023.^[23][24]