Demola Seriki

Demola Seriki was a Nigerian politician, teacher, businessman, and public administrator. He served until his death as the Nigerian ambassador to Spain, a position he assumed in January 2021, with concurrent accreditation as a permanent representative of Nigeria to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). He previously served as Nigeria's Minister of State for Defence. He started his career as a clerical officer in the Lagos City Council, and later studied accounting, finance, and management in the City University of New York. He also attended Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he completed a Senior Executive Education and earned a certificate in National and International Security. He worked as a teacher and counselor in New York's high schools, teaching accounting and business mathematics. He also worked as an assistant manager at a certified public accountants firm and a bank in New York. On returning to Nigeria, he joined Equity and Trust Finance Company Limited, as business manager. He was appointed chairman of the Lagos State Sports Council in 1992, a position he held until 1994. He was instrumental in engaging young talent in sporting activities at the state and national levels. He was also a grassroots organiser and a member of the National Democratic Coalition, Nigeria, (NADECO), a group that fought for democratic rule in Nigeria after the annulment of the 1993 general elections. He joined politics in 1999 and became a member of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) party. He contested and won a seat in the House of Representatives, representing Ikeja Federal Constituency. He later defected to the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and became a loyalist of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. He served in various ministerial positions under the administrations of Obasanjo and Umaru Yar'Adua. He was the minister of state for agriculture and water resources, mines and steel development, defence, and interior. He later joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) and became one of its chieftains. He was a close ally of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos State and a national leader of the APC. He was appointed as the Nigerian ambassador to Spain by President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021. He died peacefully surrounded by his family in Madrid on December 15, 2022. He was 63 years old. He was described as a patriotic, diligent, and visionary leader who contributed immensely to the development of Nigeria. He was survived by his wife and children.