He obtained a 2nd Class Upper Law Degree at the University of Ife (now OAU), Ile-Ife, in 1984, and was called to Bar in 1985. He holds a Post Graduate Diploma (Maritime Law) of the London Metropolitan University, London; and a Master of Laws degree (Maritime Law) of the Queen Mary College, University of London. He attended several other trainings, including a certificate course in Oceans law and policy at the Rhodes Academy on Oceans Law and Policy, Rhodes in Greece.

In addition, he holds a Master of Business Administration(MBA)degree of the University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.

He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute Arbitrators (FCArb) Nigeria; a member of the Nigerian Maritime Law Association(NMLA), member of the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA) as well as a member of the Maritime Law Committee of the International Bar Association(IBA).

A man of varied experience, he started his legal practice after his call to bar in 1985, and subsequently ventured into politics and was elected twice to the Edo State House of Assembly, first in 1992 and again, in 1999. He was elected Hon.Speaker of the House during both tenures.

In 2003 he was appointed Secretary and Legal Adviser to the Nigerian Maritime Authority(NMA) which was transformed into the Nigerian Maritime Administration And Safety Agency (NIMASA) in 2007 as Nigeria’s apex Maritime Regulatory Agency; and was in that position until his retirement from the Agency in 2012, in line with the then Federal government extant policy on tenure of directors in the public service.

He returned to private legal practice same year, and his practice areas include Maritime law, commercial law, Banking and Finance, Corporate governance, property law, oil and gas law,Arbitration and legislative advocacy.

He is a Consultant to a number of international bodies and institutions, including the International Labour Organization(ILO) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime(UNODC).