Amb, Sani Bala did his NYSC in Imo State from July 1979 - July 1980 and in August of that year, joined the Ministry of External Affairs Lagos. While at headquarters he served in various departments and units beginning with Protocol Dept., (Liaison officer State House Marina, Lagos); Nigeria Pilgrims Board; Discipline Section; Inter African Affairs; Appointment, promotion and Establishment Div (APED); Consular and Immigration Dept; Middle East Division and office of the Hon. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs as Special Assistant from the Ministry and worked with five (5) different Ministers of State in that capacity (Amb. Zakari Ibrahim,Alhaji Saidu Isa, Chief Anthony Ani, Alhaji Hassan Paki and Alhaji Samaila Sambawa).

 From January, 1995 – December, 1996 Amb. Sani Bala served as an Honourable Commissioner and member of the Katsina State Executive Council on leave of absence on ground of Public Policy. He served as Hon. Commissioner for Trade and Commerce and latter was moved to the Ministry of Health, Social Development, Youth and Sports He also served in several Nigerian diplomatic and Consular missions abroad, between 1982- 86, Nigerian Embassy, Jeddah and later to the Consulate when the Embassy moved to Riyadh; 1988 – 92, Nigerian Embassy Cairo, Egypt as Counsellor and Head of Chancery; Sept,1997- Oct, 1998 Charge d'Affairs 

 At the Nigerian Embassy Dakar, Senegal; 1998-2001 Minister Counsellor and Head of Chancery in Nigerian Embassy Accra, Ghana; Jan, 2007- June,2008 Appointed Charge d'Affaires ENTITRE of Nigerian Embassy Tunis, Tunisia; June 2008 Appointed Consul General of Nigeria in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; December, 2011 Appointed Ambassador of Nigeria and on 12th June 2012 H.E. President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan presented Ambassador Sani Bala with his letters of credence as Nigeria's first Ambassador to the State of Qatar.

 Shortly after, in October 2012 Amb. Bala was appointed a Federal Permanent Secretary after successfully passing the rigorous selection examination and interview. 

 He was posted to the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) and on 24th August, 2013 he was redeployed to the Federal Ministry of Health where he retired on 15thApril, 2014 on the attainment of the mandatory retirement age of 60 years. The next day he started working for the former Chairman of PDP, H.E. Ahmadu Adamu Mu'azu as his Principal Secretary and retired from that post on 20th March, 2015. In February 2018, he joined the savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development (SCDDD), a NGO founded by Professor Ibrahim Gambari, the immediate past Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari. In june 2020, Amb. Bala was appointed the Executive director of the Centre. A position he has been occupying to date.