BACKGROUND
I was born on 6 February, 1965 and I had my early education in Yelwa Yauri, Sokoto State (now Kebbi State). I proceeded thereafter to Government Day Secondary School, Yelwa Yauri and subsequently, to Government Science Secondary School, Zuru, Sokoto State (now Kebbi State), where I obtained my West African Leaving Certificate. In 1984 I attended the School of Basic Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where I obtained the Interim Joint Matriculation Board Certificate, in 1985. I subsequently obtained my Bachelor of Laws (LLB) Degree from the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State in
1989 from whence I proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island, Lagos and was thereafter called to the Nigerian Bar on 12th December, 1990.
PROFESSIONAL CAREER
After the mandatory National Youth Service Corps programme between 1990 and 1991, I opted for private law practice and joined the law firm of Messrs. Danladi Bamaiyi and Company in Sokoto, where I was groomed in the practice of law, with particular bias for litigation. I remained with the firm for about 12 years and rose to become the Head of Chambers. In 2003, I founded my law firm – Y. C. Maikyau & Co. – with offices in the FCT, Sokoto and Kebbi States. I have 32 years of experience as a legal practitioner under my belt. I was appointed Notary Public in 2002 by the then Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mohammed Lawal Uwais and was subsequently conferred with the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) on 26th August 2011.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
I have a strong bias for Continuous Professional Development. I attended the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London, between 2013 and 2014 where I obtained a Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration, and was subsequently admitted as Fellow of the Institute (FCIArb) in September, 2014. In November, 2021, I was also admitted as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (FICMC). In my unrelenting quest for personal development, I took a course on the Law of Data Security and Investigations at the SANS Institute (ESCAL Institute of Advanced Technology) Bethesda, USA and graduated in 2016.
I AM A THOROUGHBRED BAR MAN
I am a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the International Bar Association (IBA). In my capacity as a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, I have had the privilege of serving the Bar and the legal profession in many capacities such as:
Member of the NBA Legal Profession Regulation Review Committee (LPRRC) set up by the A. B. Mahmoud administration, which made far-reaching recommendations for the reform of the legal profession in Nigeria culminating in the Legal Profession Regulation Bill; Chairman, North Disciplinary Committee of the Bar from 2012 to 2014; Chairman, Law and Individual Rights Committee of the Section on Legal Practice from 2019 to 2021;
Member of the Welfare Committee set up in 2020 by the former President, Mr. Paul Usoro, SAN, to alleviate the hardship occasioned on members of the Bar, particularly young members, by the COVID-19 pandemic and the attendant lockdown; Member, Court of Appeal Rules Committee, 2021; Pioneer and current Chairman of the NBA Welfare Committee;
THE FRUITS OF MY BAR ADVOCACY
As an advocate, I have handled several notable cases which have had significant impact on the Nigerian legal landscape. One of such cases is Re: Abdullahi, (2018) 14 NWLR (Part 1639) 272, where together with my team, I convinced the Supreme Court of Nigeria to reach a novel decision, allowing the substitution of a deceased appellant in a criminal case with the administrators of his estate for the purpose of preserving the civil rights in his estate. Prior to this, I was in the national spotlight as counsel in the Human Rights Violation Investigation Commission of Nigeria – The Oputa Panel – set up by President Olusegun Obasanjo, following the country’s return to Democracy in 1999. Beyond litigation, I have advised on some project finance and facility disbursement matters and have served on arbitral tribunals as sole arbitrator, co-arbitrator, presiding arbitrator and counsel.
SERVICE TO THE NATION
I have also had the privilege of serving our great country. Indeed, I was appointed by the Federal Government of Nigeria to serve as a Member of the Panel of Conciliators of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) from July 2016 until July 2022. I was also a member of the Governing Council of the Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero, Kebbi State from 2015 to 2019; and also served as Chairman of the 2020 Conference Planning Committee of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).
SOCIAL WORK AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Outside the field of law, I have invested a part of my time towards social work and community development as a way of giving back to the community that made me. I am a graduate of Rhema Bible Training Centre, Nigeria, where I obtained a Diploma in Ministerial Training, with emphasis on Societal Leadership. I am thus a community development and welfare enthusiast, and I have been responsible for several free medical outreaches that have benefitted hundreds of persons in my home state of Kebbi. I am also a patron of Purpose Global Academy in D’lanko, Kebbi State, a school that was established nearly 2 decades ago as my pet project.
I am happily married to Zainab Maikyau for over two decades and it has pleased God to bless our marriage with Four (4) children.
