Ambassador Mohamed Lahai O’Bai Samurai was born in Tonko Limba Chiefdom, Kambia District, in the North-Western region of Sierra Leone. He pursued his higher education at Howard University in Washington, DC, USA, where he studied African Studies, Political Science, and International Relations.

Throughout his distinguished career, Ambassador Samurai served as the Minister of Lands, Housing, and Environment in Sierra Leone. He also held the significant position of Undersecretary for Africa on the Executive Committee of the World Islamic Call Society in Tripoli, Libya, for a decade. Additionally, he served as Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the Maghreb region, excluding Egypt, with his residency in Tripoli. His diplomatic responsibilities extended to countries such as Sudan, Malta, and Chad.

Ambassador Samurai has a passion for reading biographies, studying African and international political trends—especially in relation to Africa and the Middle East—and is actively involved in agriculture. He also engages in Islamic Dawa.