title: Ojo Maduekwe
text: # Ojo Maduekwe
  
  Chief Ojo Maduekwe // (listen) (May 6, 1945 – June 29, 2016) was a Nigerian politician of Igbo origin, from Ohafia, Abia State.
  
  ## Early life and education
  
  He was educated at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and graduate with a law degree in 1972.
  
  ## Political career
  
  He was appointed Foreign Minister of Nigeria on July 26, 2007 by President Umaru Yar'Adua. He left office in March 2010 when Acting President Goodluck Jonathan dissolved his cabinet. He was National Secretary of the ruling political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He worked as the deputy director of PDP presidential campaign 2011 Goodluck/Sambo ticket. He was nominated for SGF, but was subsequently dropped following criticism by eastern people.
  
  Previously, Maduekwe had been appointed Culture and Tourism minister by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999. He was appointed Minister of Transport in 2001. In this position, he advocated for greater use of bicycles, although critics said that the roads were unsafe for cyclists. Maduekwe himself was pushed into a ditch by a bus while he was cycling to work.
  
  ## Trivia
  
  * Maduekwe and former NDDC Chairman, Onyema Ugochukwu were fraternity brothers at the University of Nigeria
  