Business
Festus Keyamo and His Brand Of Administrative Activism* By Philip Agbese
*Festus Keyamo and His Brand Of Administrative Activism*
By Philip Agbese
Festus Keyamo, the enigmatic figure at the helm of Nigeria’s aviation sector, has been a subject of both admiration and controversy. His unconventional approach to governance has polarised opinions, with some hailing him as a visionary leader and others questioning his methods. As the Aviation Minister, Keyamo has been unapologetically vocal about his commitment to reforming the industry, but his fervour for change has often been met with scepticism and resistance.
Of truth, one can not discuss Festus Keyamo without acknowledging his unyielding dedication to Nigeria. His admirable cockiness and unwavering patriotism and willingness to stand up for what he believes in are undeniable. Keyamo’s refusal to conform to the traditional norms of governance has earned him both admirers and detractors. Some argue that his zealousness is a breath of fresh air in a landscape rife with bureaucratic red tape, while others caution that his approach may be too radical for the delicate political ecosystem of Nigeria.
Being a proponent of grassroots empowerment, he believes that the voices of ordinary citizens must be heard in the corridors of power. To this end, he has worked tirelessly to mobilise communities, educate citizens on their rights, and empower them to demand better governance. Keyamo’s grassroots activism has inspired many Nigerians to take a more active role in shaping the country’s political future.
Festus Keyamo’s brand of administrative activism is not for the faint of heart. His willingness to challenge the status quo and push the boundaries of conventional governance is both commendable and disconcerting. While some laud his boldness, others fear that it may lead to unintended repercussions. Keyamo’s unapologetic stance has drawn comparisons to other historical figures who were willing to sacrifice everything for their ideals.
However, it is essential to consider the lessons from history. Keyamo’s determination to die for Nigeria, while admirable, should be tempered with caution. The case of Muammar Gaddafi serves as a cautionary tale. Gaddafi’s desire to die for Africa ultimately led to his downfall, as he was betrayed by his people.
Keyamo must be mindful of the potential consequences of such extreme rhetoric and ensure that his actions align with the best interests of the Nigerian people. It is crucial to tread carefully when treading such uncharted territory, especially in a country as complex and volatile as Nigeria.
Keyamo’s purported readiness to “die for Nigeria” is a testament to his unwavering commitment, but it also raises concerns about the potential consequences of such uncompromising dedication. History is replete with examples of individuals who staked everything on their convictions, only to face betrayal and disillusionment. It is a cautionary tale that should not be dismissed lightly.
Due to his fearlessness in the face of adversity, another facet of Keyamo’s administrative activism is his commitment to the rule of law, and this has earned him more political enemies than friends. He firmly believes that all individuals, regardless of their status or wealth, should be subject to the same legal standards. Throughout his career, he has faced numerous challenges and threats due to his outspokenness and activism.
Keyamo has been a vocal advocate for judicial reform in Nigeria, pushing for greater independence and efficiency in the country’s legal system. Despite these obstacles, Keyamo has remained steadfast in his commitment to social justice and human rights. His courage and determination have inspired many others to join him in the fight for a more just and equitable society. His efforts have helped to strengthen the rule of law and ensure that justice is served fairly and impartially.
The call for Keyamo to ”wake up” and recognise the realities of Nigeria is a poignant one. The complexities of the Nigerian political landscape can not be underestimated, and Keyamo needs to navigate these intricacies with prudence. While his passion for Nigeria is unquestionable, this fervour must be tempered with a deep understanding of the nuanced challenges facing the nation. An understanding of the fact that sources of progressive change and growth like his are mostly suffocated to die prematurely, or attacked ferociously till they fade into oblivion should be something he must have to consider seriously in his journey.
Setting aside the fervour surrounding Festus Keyamo’s zealousness, it is crucial to examine his impact as the Aviation Minister. His reforms in the sector have been both ambitious and divisive. Keyamo’s efforts to modernise and revitalise Nigeria’s aviation industry have been met with a mixed reception. While many applaud his bold initiatives, others express apprehension about the potential pitfalls of such rapid change. It’s not farfetched that the latter are people who have a penchant for the continuity of rascality and corruption, which have bedevilled the aviation sector for a long time.
Moving beyond Keyamo’s convictions, it is crucial to note that, during his tenure, Keyamo implemented several reforms aimed at improving the aviation sector in Nigeria. These reforms have had a significant impact on various aspects of the industry, including safety standards, infrastructure development, and operational efficiency.
One of Keyamo’s notable achievements was the introduction of stricter safety regulations. Under his leadership, the Aviation Ministry implemented measures to enhance safety protocols, ensuring that Nigerian airports and airlines adhere to international standards. This has not only improved the safety of air travel within the country but has also bolstered Nigeria’s reputation in the global aviation community.
Furthermore, Keyamo prioritised infrastructure development in the aviation sector. He spearheaded projects aimed at expanding and modernizing airports across the country, improving connectivity and facilitating economic growth. These infrastructure investments have not only enhanced the travel experience for passengers but have also attracted foreign investment and boosted tourism.
Keyamo’s reforms also focused on improving operational efficiency within the aviation sector. He introduced measures to streamline processes, reduce bureaucracy, and enhance transparency. These efforts have resulted in smoother operations, reduced delays, and improved customer service, benefiting both passengers and industry stakeholders.
It is important to acknowledge that Festus Keyamo’s vision for Nigeria’s aviation sector is driven by a genuine desire to propel the nation towards progress. His determination to address longstanding issues and overhaul outdated practices is a testament to his commitment to effect positive change. However, the path to reform is fraught with challenges, and Keyamo must navigate these obstacles with caution and foresight.
While his unwavering commitment to Nigeria is commendable, he must be cautious of the lessons from history and ensure that his actions align with the best interests of the Nigerian people. As the Aviation Minister, Keyamo has implemented significant reforms that have positively impacted the aviation sector. His focus on safety, infrastructure development, and operational efficiency has yielded tangible results, improving the travel experience and bolstering Nigeria’s reputation in the global aviation community.
Time will be kind to tell us how Festus Keyamo’s legacy will be one of the unyielding triumphs in the annals of Nigeria’s history. Generations will look back in time to remember that man who worked great wonders in the aviation sector, leaving so much for us to gain from his stewardship in the aviation sector.
As the nation continues to navigate its challenges, leaders like Keyamo must strike a delicate balance between passion and pragmatism, ensuring that their efforts lead to sustainable and inclusive development for all Nigerians.
Agbese MHR is the Deputy Spokesperson, 10th House of Representatives writing from Abuja.
NNPCL and Corruption’s Final Throes
By Pius Olasanmi
In the twilight of the Obasanjo administration, when Nigerians were still capable of being outraged, when Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of refineries was a buzzword that still held some mysticism to bamboozle citizens, during a conversation, a certain man said something profound. The man said, “As a businessman, if I were the owner of these refineries, knowing that they are three decades old, I would take the last money I have, hire bulldozers, raze them to the ground, and obtain loans to build new ones.”
When we pressed him further on why he would engage in such waste, he explained that repairing the refineries is the real waste. He explained that even if the TAM were honestly carried out, a thirty-year-old refinery would never compete favourably with a new one that would integrate contemporary technology. Operating at its best, such a refinery would never be comparatively more efficient. It is therefore pointless to have spent another one naira on the refineries at that point.
A few months later, I had a conversation with a then-lawmaker on an entirely different matter. I mentioned that the National Assembly has failed by not crafting legislation that would criminalise and punish public office holders who foist wrong decisions on the country. The logic: a public office holder need not steal to be punished, wrong decisions should attract penalties for an office holder who opts for the worst of all options when there are less injurious ones.
These established premises speak to the ongoing nauseating efforts at revisionism by those who wrecked the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its previous iteration, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Notably, this campaign to rewrite history is traceable to Engineer Mele Kolo Kyari, the disgraced immediate past Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL and his hirelings. They have suffocated the news and the public opinion space with even more lies than they spun while in office.
The Saint Kyari campaign is anchored on convincing Nigerians that the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna Refineries were fully functional when he was booted out of office. So brazen is the campaign that one of its talking heads challenged the group chief executive officer (GCEO), Engr. Bayo Ojulari, to “inform Nigerians categorically what happened to the functioning refineries he inherited from his predecessor, Engr. Mele Kyari.” The effrontery.
We have not forgotten so soon the charade that followed the baffling claim that Nigeria has spent $2.8 billion on the repair of the refineries, while they are not churning out even a single litre of refined product among them. Saint Kyari and his goons played all manner of tricks, all of which embarrassed President Bola Tinubu, who had counted on ticking off the return to productivity of the refineries as part of his achievements, only to realise that he was deceived into celebrating phantoms. Tragic.
Lest we forget, 200 trucks were arranged as props in a well-directed video clip to celebrate the re-streaming of the Port Harcourt Refinery. The disappointment. Nigerians were to learn from several reports that the Port Harcourt refinery was not producing and was instead using old, stored petroleum products to load trucks. Worse still, the Kyari crew was passing off sanction-tainted Russian-sourced crude oil refined in Malta as locally refined products. More insult was piled on the assault on our collective sensibility with the lies that the Port Harcourt Refinery exported semi-finished products. Brazen.
Meanwhile, Kyari and his hirelings called those who pointed out or protested these glaring scams all manner of names. They hid behind industry technicalities and jargon to create the impression that those of us who knew Nigerians were being robbed did not understand what we were saying. The point remains that a $2.8 billion investment can potentially build a refinery with a capacity of around 100,000 barrels per day (bpd). Of course, the actual capacity of such a refinery will depend on various factors, including the complexity of the refinery, the technology used, and the location. That is the amount that Kyari’s regime at the NNPCL took and did not give Nigerians refined products.
Fast forward to Kyari’s sack and the appointment of Engineer Bayo Ojulari, who has demonstrated that things can indeed be done differently. Kyari’s exit was expectedly followed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) going after him and his associates. The extent of the theft is better understood against the backdrop of N80 billion being found in the bank account of one of his associates. They went on the run.
Perhaps because the EFCC was biding its time on securing international warrants for the arrests of these characters on the lam, they have become emboldened. They have decided to fight back and rewrite the story of their participation in the greatest fraud against Nigerians. Engineer Ojulari’s renewed mindset, which is entrenching a semblance of the transparency Nigerians demand, became their natural target. The demons that once roamed around the corporation came out with malevolence. They started spinning stories of corruption to tarnish the incumbent who refused to hide their crimes. The objective: bring Ojulari down. But alas, he is winning the war as it stands.
His innocence is proven, and it is glaring that those who want him out are mere charlatans who can no longer ply their corrupt wares because of the impact of the new reforms. Corruption in the NNPCL is in its final throes. The fake news being unleashed against the incumbent leadership is akin to corruption’s last kicks as reforms in the sector strangulate it and its practitioners. The reforms must take place in the NNPCL, whether the industry demons like it or not.
As a parting shot, Kyari and his associates would do well to prepare their defence. In addition to accounting for the $2.8 billion they laundered in the name of repairing the moribund refineries, they must also answer for the poor decision to fix that which is irretrievably broken. Awarding contracts for Turn Around Maintenance of 59-year-old refineries that a right-thinking person had suggested should be demolished almost twenty years ago, when they were only 30 years old, is criminal. Trying to deceive Nigerians that the fake repairs worked is treason.
Olasanmi is a public affairs analyst writing from Lagos.
GRANDIS 5STAR LUXURY APARTMENT & SUITES SET TO REDEFINE LIVING IN VICTORIA ISLAND
Set to Rise elegantly against the Lagos skyline, is the Grandis 5Star Luxury Apartment & Suites. According to Adejuwon Ademola, The General Manager of the Development company, it is more than just a residential building
“it’s a lifestyle statement. Standing 17 floors high in the heart of Victoria Island, this revolutionary masterpiece of modern architecture will offer a panoramic 360° view of Eko Atlantic, Victoria Island, and Ikoyi, transforming every apartment into an exclusive penthouse experience for the world’s most discerning elite.”
Developed by Dumarco Construction Limited, a globally acclaimed company with decades of delivering complex, high-value projects in the highly regulated petroleum, oil, and gas industries, Grandis 5Star brings unmatched international safety standards, uncompromising quality, and timeless elegance into Nigeria’s luxury property market.
> “When you live in Grandis, you’re not just buying a home—you’re investing in peace of mind, world-class safety, and an effortless luxury experience that will remain pristine for decades,” says Adejuwon A. Ademola, General Manager of Dumarco Construction Limited.
The Gold Standard in Safety and Quality
Dumarco’s roots in the oil and gas sector mean the company operates to some of the strictest safety protocols in the world. Every stage—from conceptualization, design, construction, to long-term maintenance—follows internationally accepted procedures and quality assurance measures. Cutting corners is simply not in Dumarco’s vocabulary.
> “In the oil and gas industry, there’s no room for compromise. We’ve brought that same discipline and zero-tolerance for mediocrity into property development,” says Ademola. “That’s why Grandis will be one of the safest and most enduring residential developments in Nigeria.”
To ensure transparency and prevent (project complacency), Dumarco deliberately separates the developer, contractor, and consultant roles, engaging only the most competent professionals in each respective field. Dumarco’s project team includes globally recognized contractors such as Julius Berger, Cappa & D’Alberto, and Elalan, Migliore Construczione & Tecniche (MC&T) and their partners VENCO IMTIAZ CONTRACTING COMPANY (VICC) based in Dubai, UAE, Business Contracting Limited, alongside leading consultants like Morgan Omanitan & Abe, LAMBERT, and James Cubitt.
Grandis – Investments, appreciation, returns and profitability
Our selection process for the location of the project alone was pains-taking and completely thorough scientific process. Top professional companies were employed to conduct a scientific data acquisition and analytical survey of the entire Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki and Eko Atlantic before a project site is selected. Analyzing and acquiring areas developmental charts and trends, studying and gathering historical and present sale prices, rental charge and occupancy rates over a 50 year period from every individual street before the selection of the location of any of our developments especially true for the Grandis Project
He adds,
“Our clients and residents can be rest assured that the location of Grandis has been scientifically proven through all existing data to provide our clients with a 100% occupancy rate, highest developmental location, highest rental income and investment returns. ”
The Grandis Experience
Located minutes away from international corporate headquarters, embassies, and landmarks such as Eko Hotel, Radisson Blu, and the Radisson Red, Grandis offers unmatched convenience for professionals, diplomats, and high-net-worth individuals. Every residence is designed for both indulgence and efficiency, with high-grade finishes, smart-home systems, and private amenities that ensure seamless living.
From sunrise over the Atlantic to the glittering Lagos night skyline, residents will enjoy uninterrupted luxury, supported by discreet and highly trained staff, advanced security systems, and a design that prioritizes comfort and privacy.
> “We designed Grandis for people who want everything—security, elegance, convenience, and the assurance that their home will look as spectacular in 20 years as it does on day one,” Ademola notes.
A Legacy That Lasts
With its combination of visionary architecture, peerless safety, and meticulous maintenance planning, Grandis is built to remain iconic for generations. Thanks to Dumarco’s meticulous approach, the building’s service charges are expected to remain low while its value and appeal continue to appreciate over time.
In a market often marred by shortcuts and substandard practices, Mr Ademola says
Grandis stands as a beacon of what luxury living should be—safe, spectacular, and built to last.
“Grandis 5Star Luxury Apartment & Suites — Where safety meets sophistication, and every detail is designed for a life well-lived.”
He added
Website -www.dumarcoltd.com
Project website – www.26idowutaylor.com
Email [email protected]
Tel / WhatsApp +234 9077777883
GM – Adejuwon A. Ademola
Tinubu Overhauls NTA Leadership: Media Powerhouse Rotimi Pedro Takes Helm as DG
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced a major shake-up at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), appointing renowned media executive Rotimi Richard Pedro as the new Director-General in a move widely seen as a bold step toward modernising the state broadcaster.
Pedro, a Lagos native, brings nearly 30 years of expertise in broadcasting, sports rights, and marketing communications across Africa, the UK, and the Middle East. A trained entertainment and intellectual property lawyer, he also holds an MSc in Investment Management and Finance from City University Business School, London.
In 1995, Pedro founded Optima Sports Management International (OSMI), which rose to become one of Africa’s leading sports content providers—distributing premium events such as the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FIFA World Cup, and CAF competitions to audiences in over 40 countries.
His career highlights include top roles at Bloomberg Television Africa and Rapid Blue Format, as well as advisory work for FIFA, UEFA, Fremantle Media, and the African Union of Broadcasters (AUB). At the AUB, he was instrumental in securing exclusive pan-African free-to-air media rights for all CAF competitions.
Alongside Pedro’s appointment, Tinubu named Karimah Bello from Katsina State as Executive Director of Marketing, Stella Din from Plateau State as Executive Director of News, and Sophia Issa Mohammed from Adamawa State as Managing Director of NTA Enterprises Limited.
Industry insiders credit Pedro with building commercially viable broadcast platforms, driving sponsorship growth, and delivering world-class content to African audiences. His appointment marks one of the most significant leadership changes at NTA in years—signalling the government’s intent to strengthen the broadcaster’s competitiveness in a fast-evolving media landscape.
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