DR. (HON.) KEYI, MATTHEW DADA
Educationist, politician and technocrat
Dr. (Hon.) Matthew Dada Keyi is a household name within and outside Ogori. He is an author, publisher, administrator, politician, educationist and philanthropist of high repute.
Hon. Keyi was born on the 16th January, 1962, he is a native of Ogori in Ogori-Magongo Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The young Matthew had his early education in the Local Government Education Area (primary school) in Janaret Pankshin – Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria and obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1972. Between 1974 and 1979, he was a student at the Victory College of Commerce, Edidi-Oro in Kwara State and passed his West African School Certificate with flying colours. He later proceeded to the school of Basic Studies, Kwara College of Technology, Ilorin (now Kwara State Polytechnic) for his G.C.E Advanced level.
In 1982, he got admitted to the University of Ilorin, Ilorin where he studied Economics and graduated in record time. By 1989, Matthew was already a Masters degree holder in Economics in the same university. He bagged his Doctorate degree in 2020 from the Postgraduate School, Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) Kaduna, Nigeria.
After his first degree in 1984, Matthew was posted to Plateau State for his National Youth Service Corps programme and posted to the Federal College of Education Pankshin for his primary assignment. He was engaged as a lecturer in the Economics department of the institution.
He took up several appointments at different times across the country. He worked with the Herald Newspapers, Ilorin; Nigerian Economist Magazine, Lagos and the Guardian Newspaper, Lagos as Assistant Editor, Business and Finance Desk.
He served as Business Development Manager, Research and Data Service Ltd (REDASEL), Lagos. In 1991, he was the Special Assistant (Deputy Manager) to Managing Director of Gulf Bank of Nigeria, Lagos. Due to his dedication to duty and the ability to think out of the box, he was made Head, Corporate Affairs/Planning, Gulf Bank of Nigeria, Lagos between 1991 and 1996.
Between 2003 and 2004, Hon. Keyi was appointed Caretaker Chairman of his own local government area – Ogori-Magongo. His solid and fascinating performance at the grass root level facilitated his choice as the right individual to be elected as the Executive Chairman of Ogori-Magongo Local Government between 2004 and 2007.
In 2007, he became the Chief Executive Officer of Riverbelt Consult Ltd. Abuja.
Dr. Keyi is a powerful communicator who has all the attributes that will make him function well anywhere he finds himself. He is very versatile, with these unique attributes he easily gets connected with people of high caliber in Nigeria. He once served as Special Assistant to at least three federal ministers, all these gave him an insight to the working of governance at both state and national levels.
Between 2012 and 2014, Hon. Keyi was a member of the Governing Board, Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja. Currently, he is the Chief Executive Officer of Industrial Leaders Communications Ltd. (Research, Documentation, Policy, Analysis and Publishing Firm).
Alongside with the above, Dr. Keyi has severally held some very important positions which have earned him some respect such as: Secretary, Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Kogi State Chapter; member, Kogi State Local Governments’ Trade delegation to Turkey, Netherlands and Poland; Student Leader (P.R.O) for University of Ibadan among several others.
Hon. Keyi belongs to some critical professional bodies such as the Nigerian Economic Society (NES) and the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), where he has contributed his own little quota to their development.
He has co-authored and contributed works in some Journals and books in recent years. He has attended several courses and workshops across the country that has provided him opportunities to improve on his performance.
He is a recipient of several awards especially in the last couple of years. He is one of the egg-heads working hard to reposition Ogori for the better. He has made Ogori community proud through his contribution to the area presently with the Federal University of Lokoja as a senior Lecturer
He is happily married and blessed with three wonderful children.
