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Ambassador James Sunday Olaleye , mfrp

James Sunday Olaleye, mfrp., was born on May 21, 1950 in Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. He is an accomplished career diplomat with a wealth of experience in International Relations, Diplomacy, and Consular Affairs Management. As an astute diplomat, his core mission is to deploy problem solving strategies in Nigeria’s interest, home and abroad, and fostering diplomatic relations for mutual benefits.

Education

Ambassador Olaleye attended Local Authority (L.A.) Primary School in Ido-Ekiti from 1957 to 1962; from where he proceeded to CAC Modern School, Gbonmi Street, Osogbo, in Osun State; then Bishop Smith Memorial Teachers’ College, Ilorin. He holds Bachelor of Science (B. Sc.) in Government and Politics of the University of Maryland, Takoma Park, Maryland, United States of America; Diploma in Diplomatic Training of the Nigerian Foreign Service Academy, Certificates in Official Reporter’s Course at Federal Training Centre, Kaduna, and a Professional Affiliate member of Foreign Relations Practitioner (mfrp).

Key Competences

• Diplomacy and Negotiation * Conflict Resolution
• International Law and Treaties * Multilateral and Bilateral Diplomacy
• Cross-Cultural Communication * Crisis Management
• Foreign Policy Analysis * Multilingual (English, French and Yoruba)

Core Career Achievements

He started a diplomatic career as an Administrative Attaché at the Embassy of Nigeria in Congo Brazzaville in 1978, and rose through the ranks to become an Ambassador. He served in several capacities in many Nigerian Embassies across the globe, including Congo Brazzaville, Guinea Conakry, and Libreville Gabon. As a seasoned diplomat, he served in three principal counties of the world: United States of America, United Kingdom and Japan.

While serving as the head of Consular, welfare and passport at the Nigerian High Commission in London, the Late Prince Bola Ajibola, then Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom recommended Olaleye’s deployment to take over the schedule of the Consular. On resumption, Olaleye was able to rejig the operation and services to the admiration and benefits of Nigerians in the United Kingdom by ensuring timely news passport issuance and renewal to Nigerians.

Technical Aids Corps

Ambassador Olaleye served as Special Assistant to the Director of Technical Aids Corps (TAC) to late Ambassador Joe Ekong, mni. At the Directorate, highly skilled Nigerians, especially young people were recruited and deployed as volunteers to serve in developing countries for two years. The objectives among others were to project and share Nigeria’s brimming human resources with Caribbean, Arabian and Pacific countries. TAC was also aimed at promoting understanding between Nigeria and other developing countries. In the past thirty years, thousands of young people have participated in the programme at a cost of billions of dollars to Nigeria. Countries that participated in the Technical Aid Corps (TAC) programme were Benin Republic, Congo, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe, Zambia, Cape Verde, Senegal, Belize, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Jamaica, Liberia, Niger, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, St. Kitts and Nevis, Tanzania.

International Conferences

Ambassador Olaleye served in various International Conferences and he has been a member of committees such as Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Durban, South Africa and Abuja in Nigeria, ECOWAS and Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), held in Japan and Botswana. He also took part in the Organisation of African Unity (AU) and ECOWAS Conference, both in Nigeria and abroad. He was a member of Nigerian Contingent to the (Group of Eight countries, (G8) Hokkaido Summit in Japan in 2008. Nigeria and other African countries had been able to benefit from TICAD programmes. Ambassador Olaleye, served the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs meritoriously from 1978, till his retirement in 2010.

University Administrator

He once served as Secretary and Member of the Board of Trustees of Crawford University at the inception of the institution in 2005; he was later appointed the Chairman, Board of Trustees in 2015 to succeed Prof. Peter Okebukola, the position he holds till date.

Pilgrimage and Religious Activities

Ambassador Olaleye is a Christian, and had organised members of Apostolic Faith Churches across Nigeria, and West and Central Africa countries on pilgrimage to Israel five times.

Private Life

He is happily married to Mrs. MARTELL Egivwaine, a retired lecturer of French language at College of Education, Warri, Delta State and blessed with children.