Life and times of Sam Nda-Isaiah
By Ukpono Ukpong
The death of Samuel Ndanusa Isaiah, popularly known as Sam Nda-Isaiah, the founder and Chairman of the Leadership Group, came as a rude shock to Nigerians.
Born in Minna on May 1, 1962, the Nigerian political columnist, pharmacist, entrepreneur and journalist died on Friday, 11th December, 2020 after a brief illness.
He attended the UNA Elementary School before switching to Christ Church School, Kaduna in 1968.
He later went on to study at Federal Government College, Kaduna, from 1974 to 1979.
After graduating, he was admitted to Obafemi Awolowo University where he studied pharmaceuticals.
He was also enrolled in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.
He completed a mandatory year of the National Youth Services Corps at the Ekiti General Hospital and the Ekiti State Hospital in 1984.
Nda-Isaiah briefly worked as a pharmacist at the Kano Specialist Hospital before moving to General Hospital, Minna.
He worked at Pfizer Products Limited from 1985 to 1989.
He began his columnist work with The Daily Trust Editorial Board as a board member and worked as a committee member in the Kano State Government to revive The Triumph, a Kano owned newspaper before he founded the Leadership Newspaper Group in 2001.
He was also a member of the Asian think-tank, the Global Institute for Tomorrow in Hong Kong.
In 2019 he was appointed board member of the Baze University.
The Niger State-born pharmacist once aspired to be president on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He held the traditional title of Kakaki Nupe.
He was also conferred with the chieftaincy title “Aare Baaroyin of Akure Kingdom” by Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi,Odundu.
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In 2003, he headed Mohammadu Buhari’s presidential campaign publicities.
In 2015, alongside former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Governor Rochas Okorocha and former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso among others lost the ticket to President Buhari who later won the election after defeating PDP’s Goodluck Jonathan.
