Sarafa Tunji Ishola

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Sarafadeen Tunji Isola (born on 25 November 1960) is the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom,^[1] a position he has held since he was appointed by Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021.^[2][3]

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 completing his secondary school education, Isola worked as a sales clerk at Welcome Nigeria Limited, a pharmaceutical company. Isola 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 what was then Kaduna State, 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, teaching various subjects, including 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. in 2011, he enrolled for a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.

Isola was elected Chairman of Abeokuta North Local Government in 1997. During his tenure, Isola was also elected Chairman of the Conference of Local Government Council Chairmen, Ogun State. His brief tenure as chairman ended in 1998.

In 1999, Alhaji Isola was appointed Special Assistant (SPA) to the Honourable Minister of State, Finance - the late Alhaji Jubril Martins Kuye (JMK). He held this position till 2003.

Following the election of Chief Gbenga Daniel as governor of Ogun State in 2003 under the banner of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Sarafa Tunji Isola was appointed Secretary to the State Government^[4].

Chief Isola was appointed the Minister for Mines and Steel Development on 26 July 2007 by the then president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the late Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.^[5]

On 29 October 2008, following a cabinet review by President Yar'Adua, Isola was relieved of his duties as the Minister for Mines and Steel Development.^[6]

He was among the 41 non-career ambassadors-designate nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari on 1 July 2020. On 13 January 2021, Isola was announced as the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom^[7][8][9].