Ademola Rasaq Seriki, CON, also known as Demola Seriki, (30 November 1959 – 15 December 2022) 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. Early career In 1978, Seriki started his career as a clerical officer in the Lagos City Council, City Hall, Lagos, and had a brief stint at the International Bank for West Africa Ltd (IBWA), now Afribank. As a junior public servant, Seriki was not satisfied with his clerical job, because his secondary school qualification would not guarantee him promotion into the senior ranks of public service. So, he proceeded to New York where he studied for and earned Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees in Accounting, Finance, and Management from 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. Upon completion of his studies, from 1984 to 1986 Seriki became a teacher and counselor at New York's John F. Kennedy High School, Walton High School, and Springfield Gardens High School, teaching accounting and business mathematics. Seriki was a qualified teacher in business, accounting and mathematics. From 1986 to 1987, he worked at the Rochester, New York, firm of Koskolowsky and Co. (certified public accountants), as Assistant Manager (Auditing). He was also Customer Representative/Assistant Manager at Dollar Dry Dock Bank, New York City. Nigerian public service On returning to Nigeria, Seriki joined Equity and Trust Finance Company Limited, from 1987, as business manager until he was appointed chairman of the Lagos State Sports Council in 1992; a position he held until 1994. More than anywhere else in Nigeria at the time, Seriki's tenure as chairman of the sports council coincided with political instability in Nigeria during the struggle for democratic rule by the National Democratic Coalition, Nigeria, (NADECO) and civil society organisations, following the then military junta's annulment of Nigeria's general elections won by M.K.O. Abiola. This period witnessed regular youth demonstrations and riots on the streets of Lagos. In spite of the political instability, Seriki was instrumental in engaging young talent in sporting activities