Musawa Calls Keyamo Her ‘Partner in Crime’ in Public Tribute to Aviation Minister

The Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has publicly praised the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, describing him as a close friend and one of Nigeria’s best-performing public servants. Musawa shared the tribute in a post on her official X account on Tuesday, expressing admiration for Keyamo and commending his service in government. In her message, the minister used several affectionate expressions to describe their relationship, calling Keyamo her “ride or die,” “partner in crime,” “day one,” “real one” and “bestie.” She also referred to him as her “5 and 6,” “seat mate,” “true and tried,” “friend” and “brother,” emphasising the personal regard she holds for her fellow cabinet member. “I am so proud of you my dear brother,” Musawa wrote, tagging Keyamo in the post. She added that he was, in her view, “one of the best performing public servants” Nigeria had produced, before thanking him for his service to the country. The post was accompanied by a series of expressions celebrating their friendship and appreciation for Keyamo’s work in public office.

Ministers appear together at Seyi Tinubu event

The tribute came a day after Musawa and Keyamo attended the maiden edition of the Seyi Tinubu Colloquium, organised to mark the 41st birthday of Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu. A screenshot from a video showing the two ministers together at the event accompanied PUNCH’s report on Musawa’s message. Both ministers serve in President Tinubu’s administration, although they oversee different sectors of government. Musawa heads the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, which is responsible for promoting Nigeria’s cultural heritage, tourism potential and creative industries. Keyamo leads the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, which oversees policy and development in the country’s aviation sector. Their appearance at the same event adds to previous occasions on which they have been seen together at public functions.

Shared appearance at tourism summit

The ministers were also selected as keynote speakers for the ninth National Tourism Transportation Summit and Expo. According to PUNCH, the announcement was made in Abuja by the National President of the Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria and chairman of the event’s Inter-Ministerial Organising Committee, Chief Abiodun Odusanwo. Keyamo’s participation followed his appointment by the African Development Bank as African Champion for the Integrated Aviation Transformation Programme for Africa. Musawa, meanwhile, has discussed strategies for expanding domestic and international tourism through stronger transportation networks. The collaboration between aviation and tourism is relevant to efforts to improve access to destinations, support travel-related businesses and strengthen Nigeria’s appeal to domestic and international visitors. However, neither minister’s latest public message established a new government partnership or announced a specific policy initiative. Musawa’s post was primarily a personal expression of admiration and appreciation.

Public praise highlights relationship among cabinet members

Public expressions of friendship among government officials can attract attention, particularly when they involve prominent members of the same administration. In this instance, Musawa’s choice of words conveyed a close personal bond with Keyamo, while her comments also praised his performance in public service. The aviation minister has been a prominent figure in the Tinubu administration, while Musawa has continued to oversee the government’s portfolio covering arts, culture, tourism and the creative economy. Beyond the affectionate language in the post, Musawa did not provide specific examples or performance indicators to support her assessment of Keyamo. Her description of him as one of the country’s best-performing public servants therefore remains her personal evaluation. The exchange nevertheless offered a public glimpse into the relationship between the two ministers, who have appeared together at official and industry-related gatherings. Musawa concluded her message by thanking Keyamo for his service, reinforcing the central theme of her post: admiration for a colleague she regards as both a trusted friend and a public servant.