CITATION AND BIOGRAPHY OF FESTUS KEYAMO, SAN, CON, FCIArb (UK)

Early Life and Education

Festus Egwarewa Adeniyi Keyamo was born in Ughelli, Delta State of Nigeria on Wednesday, January 21, 1970 by a father who hails from Uvwie L.G.A, near Warri, in Delta State and a mother from Yewa South L.G.A in Ogun State. Festus Keyamo attended Oharisi (Model) Primary School, Ughelli, 1975 to 1981, Government College, Ughelli, 1981 to 1986 and proceeded to his Higher School Certificate (HSC) course in the same school. Before he completed his HSC course, he gained admission through JAMB in 1988 into Bendel State University, (now Ambrose Alli University (AAU)) Ekpoma, in Edo State, and obtained his LL.B degree (Second Class Upper) in 1992. He was called to the Nigerian Bar on December 15, 1993 setting the stage for a colourful career in law. Much later, Festus Keyamo proceeded to the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in the United Kingdom where he qualified as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK).

Legal Career

He started his legal practice in Gani Fawehinmi Chambers in Lagos at the height of the agitation for the revalidation of the June 12, 1993 election. Even as a young lawyer, he was on the front row of legal activism with Chief Gani Fawehinmi and did so well in some landmark cases there that he won the Award of BEST LAWYER IN GANI FAWEHINMI CHAMBERS in March, 1994.

He left Gani Fawehinmi Chambers in 1995, had a brief stint in a partnership and then established his own law firm, FESTUS KEYAMO CHAMBERS, which has since grown rapidly with three offices in Lagos, Abuja and Warri and liaison offices in many states with over 23 lawyers and more than 30 para-legal staff.

Before his appointment as Minister, Festus Keyamo was one of the private prosecuting counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. In that capacity, he prosecuted some Politically Exposed Persons on behalf of the Commission. In his nearly three decades in legal practice, he has handled other several controversial, constitutional and landmark cases in almost all branches of the legal profession, and many on pro bono basis.

Achievements

Festus Keyamo was elevated on September 18, 2017, as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), which is the highest title for a legal practitioner in Nigeria.

In 2018, he was appointed as a member of the Board of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), an appointment he had to relinquish when he was appointed a Federal Minister.

He was appointed a Minister in July, 2019 after successfully leading the second term campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari as the Director of Strategic Communications and Spokesperson for that Campaign. He was first assigned to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs as Minister of State, after which he was redeployed to the Ministry of Labour and Employment due to his versatility. In 2022, he was re-appointed again as the Chief Spokesperson for the Tinubu-Shettima 2023 APC Presidential Election Campaign Council.

He was conferred with National Honour of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by President Muhammadu Buhari on 28^th May, 2023.

He is presently the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development. He was appointed and inaugurated on the 21^st of August, 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.

Hobbies

He was once a weekly columnist with The Sun Newspapers. He is an ardent fan of Arsenal Football Club of England and Warri Wolves FC of Delta State. He loves playing table tennis.