10 things you need to know about Festus Keyamo

Festus Keyamo, born on January 21, 1970, in Ughelli, Delta State, Nigeria, is a renowned Nigerian lawyer, columnist, and human rights activist.

He completed his primary education at Model Primary School and secondary education at Government College, Ughelli, and obtained the West African School Certificate in 1986.

Keyamo earned his Bachelor of Law degree from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, in 1992, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in December 1993.

He began his legal career at Gani Fawehinmi’s Chambers in Lagos before establishing his own law firm, Festus Keyamo Chambers.

Keyamo has been involved in several high-profile cases, including representing Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, the leader of the Niger-Delta Peoples’ Volunteer Force, and acting as lead counsel in the treason trial of Ralph Uwazuruike, leader of MASSOB.

He was also a counsel in the murder trial of Bola Ige, demonstrating his involvement in significant legal matters.

Keyamo has been an advocate for human rights and accountability, taking the Federal Government of Nigeria to court in 2008 over illegal appointments of service chiefs.

In recognition of his dedication to human rights protection and promoting accountable governance in Nigeria, Keyamo was awarded the Global Human Rights Award by the United States Global Leadership Council in Washington.

He was named a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2017 by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC), a prestigious title for outstanding legal practitioners in the country.

Keyamo’s active involvement in politics led him to serve as the director of Strategic Communications for President Buhari’s 2019 re-election bid. He later became Nigeria’s Minister of State for Niger Delta before being redeployed to the Ministry of Labour and Employment by President Buhari. His contributions were recognized with a national award in 2023 bestowed by former President Muhammadu Buhari.