Sarafa Tunji Ishola

Sarafadeen Tunji Isola (born on 25 November 1960) is the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He was appointed to the position by President by Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021 and recalled a year later, on 2 September 2023, by President Bola Tinubu, alongside other Nigerian ambassadors

Early life and education

Isola was born on 25 November 1960, in Abeokuta, Ogun State to Egba High Chieftain Alhaji Ibrahim Isola Tairu and Alhaja Amudalat Ajiun Isola (née Ejalonibu). He attended the Oke-Ona United Primary School in Ilugun, Abeokuta, and was a member of the Drama Society. His secondary education was at Nawair-ud-Deen Grammar School, in Obantoko, Abeokuta.

After high school, Isola worked as a sales clerk at Welcome Nigeria Limited, a pharmaceutical company. He attended training programmes at the Chartered Institute of Marketing where he obtained a Diploma in Marketing. He also completed the Principles of Investment Course at the South West London College in 1981 before he returned to Nigeria in 1982.

In 1983, he embarked on his mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the old Kaduna State, which is now part of Katsina State. During this period, he served as a lecturer at the Federal Advanced Teachers' College (FATC), now known as the Federal College of Education (FCE) Katsina. He taught Economics, Marketing, and Business Statistics.

In 1986, Isola became a Sales Executive at the Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC) in Abeokuta. He resigned from his position at OGBC in 1990 to pursue business and entrepreneurial work. Subsequently, he founded Taist Nigeria Limited and Taist Merchants, where he served as Chairman/Chief Executive.

In 2009, he enrolled in a 'Leaders in Development' course at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., and in 2011, enrolled for a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.

Public Service

Isola was elected Chairman of Abeokuta North Local Government between 1997 and 1998. In this role, he served as Chairman of the Conference of Local Government Council Chairmen, Ogun State. The following year, 1999, he was appointed s special assistant to the federal minister of Finance, Alhaji Jubril Martins Kuye (JMK), and served in this position till 2003.

Ishola returned to Ogun State in 2003 to serve as Secretary to the Government under the administration of Governor Gbenga Daniel. Four years later, he returned to Abuja to serve as substantive Minister for Mines and Steel Development on 26 July 2007 following his appointment by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua. He was subsequently relieved of his duties as Minister on 29 October 2008, following a cabinet review by President Yar'Adua. He however returned to government in 2020 following his designation as a non-career ambassador by President Muhammadu Buhari on 1 July 2020 and his subsequent posting on 13 January 2021 as Nigeria's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.