Festus Keyamo's biography: his life and background revealed
Festus Keyamo is a Nigerian lawyer, columnist, and politician who, after assuming office in August 2023, serves the Nigerian government as the minister of aviation and aerospace development. He is also a renowned human rights activist. What is his story?
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Festus Keyamo started out as a lawyer, and he established his name in the legal profession after presiding over multiple high-profile cases. Before joining politics, he was a vocal government critic and human rights activist, earning global awards for his efforts. He was the minister of Labour and Employment before assuming his current position as the minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
Profile summary
| Full name | Festus Egwarewa Keyamo |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | 21 January 1970 |
| Age | 54 years old (as of 2024) |
| Zodiac sign | Aquarius |
| Place of birth | Ughelli, Delta State, Nigeria |
| Current residence | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Nationality | Nigeria |
| Ethnicity | African |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Dark brown |
| Mother | Caroline Abeni Keyamo |
| Father | Matthias Keyamo |
| Siblings | 2 |
| Marital status | Divorced |
| Ex-spouse | Irene Isioma |
| Children | 2 |
| School | Government College, Ughelli |
| College | Ambrose Alli University |
| Profession | Politician, lawyer, activist, writer |
| @festuskeyamo70 | |
| X (Twitter) | @fkeyamo |
Festus Keyamo’s biography
Festus Keyamo was born on 21 January 1970 in Ughelli, Delta State, and is 54 years old as of 2024. His zodiac sign is Aquarius.
His father, Matthias Keyamo, hails from Effuruna, Delta State, while his mother, Caroline Abeni Keyamo, is from Ogun State and is Yoruba. So, which tribe is Festus Keyamo from? He is from the Urhobo tribe, the most predominant people in Delta State.
Festus Keyamo reportedly has several siblings, but only two are known: his younger brother Lucky and his sister Miriam.
He attended Model Primary School and completed his secondary education at Government College, Ughelli, in 1986. He obtained a bachelor of law degree in 1992 from Ambrose Alli University at Ekpoma, in Edo State and joined the Nigerian Bar in December 1993.
Festus Keyamo’s career
Source: Original
After obtaining his law degree in 1993, Festus Keyamo started his legal career at Gani Fawehinmi 's Chambers in Lagos State. He later established his law firm, Festus Keyamo Chambers, in 1995.
Over the years, he has gained a reputation as a top lawyer, presiding over prominent cases such as representing Mujahid Dokubo-Asari in his trial for treasonable felony. He was the lead counsel in the treason trial of Ralph Uwazuruike, the leader of the Movement For The Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra. In 2008, the lawyer sued the Federal Government of Nigeria for illegal appointments of service chiefs.
Apart from excelling in the corridors of justice, he has held multiple high-profile government positions in Nigeria. He has served his country as a minister of state for the Niger Delta and minister of state for labour and employment. He is currently Nigeria’s minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
Among his notable achievements and recognitions, the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee awarded him the rank of SAN in 2017. The United States Global Leadership Council in Washington awarded him the Global Human Rights Award for his efforts to protect and promote human rights and campaign for government accountability.
What happened to Festus Keyamo’s marriage?
The Nigerian lawyer and politician was previously married to Irene Isioma, who he divorced in 2012. Festus and Irene Isioma reportedly exchanged marriage vows on 15 May 2004 in Benin City, Edo State.
According to Modern Ghana, the politician instituted the divorce suit in April 2010. He accused his then-wife of being irresponsible, ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, and unable to cook, adding that the marriage was broken beyond repair.
Irene Isioma denied the accusations and levelled counter-accusations against him, claiming he was tight-fist and grossly irresponsible.
After approximately two years of divorce hearings, the case was adjourned in February 2012. Although she accepted the marriage dissolution, she asked the court to grant her N20 million as alimony.
In an interview shared by Nollywood Gists, Festus Keyamo opened up about his failed marriage. The Nigerian politician said:
You know what? I do a lot of divorce cases for people, and there have been more than 150 of such, both in Abuja and my Lagos office. From my interaction with couples on Divorce so far, I have come to realize that each one of them is not a devil, even though each would try to make you believe that the other partner is wrong. What you find clearly is a case of Incompatibility. Nobody is a Devil, and nobody is a saint.
Does Festus Keyamo have children?
The human rights activist is the father of two children. Before he divorced his ex-wife, Irene Isioma, they had two children: son Festus Keyamo Jr. and daughter Nicole Keyamo. The ex-couple welcomed their first child, Festus Keyamo Jr., in 2005 and had their second child, Nicole Keyamo, in 2007.
The two children lived with their mother after Festus and Isioma separated in July 2007. However, in their children's custody case before Justice Elfreda Williams-Dawodu in October 2009, the ex-partners agreed on modalities to register the children in school and timings of children access by Festus Keyamo.
FAQs
- How old is Festus Keyamo? The Nigerian politician was born on 21 January 1970 and is 54 years old as of 2024.
- Who are Festus Keyamo’s parents? He was born to Caroline Abeni and Matthias Keyamo.
- Where is Festus Keyamo from? He hails from Effuruna, Delta State and his tribe is Urhobo.
- Which school did Festus Keyamo attend? He completed his secondary education at Government College, Ughelli, before obtaining a law degree from Ambrose Alli University.
- What is Festus Keyamo’s profession? He thrives as an activist, politician, lawyer, and writer.
- Who is Nigeria's minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development? Festus Keyamo currently holds the position. He was previously the minister of state for labour and employment.
- Does Festus Keyamo have a wife? He has not revealed his current relationship status, so he is presumably single. He divorced his ex-wife, Irene Isioma, in 2012.
- How many kids does Festus Keyamo have? The Nigerian minister has two children: son Festus Keyamo Jr., born in 2005 and daughter Nicole Keyamo, born in 2007.
Festus Keyamo has been Nigeria’s aviation and aerospace development minister since August 2023. He is not only a politician but a seasoned lawyer, human rights activist, and writer. The father of two is seemingly unmarried after divorcing his ex-wife, Irene Isioma, in 2012.
Legit.ng recently published about Undertaker’s son, Gunner Vincent Calaway. He is an American illustrator, streamer, and freelance artist. He became a celebrity kid due to his father’s popularity as a professional wrestler.
Unlike his father, Gunner Vincent Calaway chose a different career path. He is not as famous as his father, Undertaker, but he has established himself on the digital platform, thriving on multiple fronts. Discover the details of his career and personal life in his biography.
Source: Legit.ng
