10 things to know about Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo

Early Life: Festus Egwarewa Keyamo was born on January 21, 1970, in Ughelli, Delta State, Nigeria. His father is from Effurun, also in Delta State.

Legal Career: He began his legal career in 1993 at the renowned Gani Fawehinmi’s Chambers in Lagos, where he gained valuable experience before establishing his own law firm, Festus Keyamo Chambers.

Human Rights Activist: Festus Keyamo is known for his active involvement in human rights activism and has taken on high-profile cases involving political and social justice issues in Nigeria.

Notable Cases: He has been a counsel in significant cases, including defending the leader of the Niger-Delta Peoples’ Volunteer Force, Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, and representing the leader of the Movement For The Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Ralph Uwazuruike.

Political Involvement: Keyamo has been actively involved in Nigerian politics and was appointed as the director of Strategic Communications for President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid in 2019.

Ministerial Appointment: He was nominated as a minister in President Buhari’s second administration and underwent screening by the Nigerian Senate. He was initially appointed as Minister of State for Niger Delta but was later redeployed to the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN): Keyamo was awarded the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) in 2017, recognizing his outstanding legal contributions.

Global Human Rights Award: In 2017, he received the Global Human Rights Award from the United States Global Leadership Council in Washington for his advocacy in promoting human rights and accountable governance in Nigeria.

Advocacy against Illegal Appointments: Keyamo has been vocal in challenging illegal appointments of service chiefs by the Nigerian government and has taken the Federal Government of Nigeria to court over such issues.

Award Recipient: In 2023, he was among the recipients of the national award conferred by former President Muhammadu Buhari in recognition of his contributions to the nation.