Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari is a Nigerian geologist, crude oil marketer, and pioneer 1st Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd).
Born on January 8, 1965, in Maiduguri, Borno State, Kyari attended Government Community Secondary School Biu in Borno State between 1977 and 1982.
In 1987, he obtained his Bachelor of Science (BSc) in geology and earth science from the University of Maiduguri.
Prior to his appointment as the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the NNPC, Kyari was the Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division of the NNPC and the Nigerian Representative at the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) since 2018.
After the retirement of Maikanti Baru from the corporation on July 7, 2019, Kyari was appointed by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as the 19th GMD of the NNPC.
In 1991, he joined NNPC as a processing geophysicist with Integrated Data Services Limited. In 1991, he started his career with the Department of Geological Survey of Nigeria as a field geologist.
He worked as an exploration geophysicist with the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) in 1998. In 2007, Kyari headed the Production Sharing Contracts Management in the Crude Oil Marketing Division (COMD).
In 2014, he became the General Manager, Crude Oil Stock Management, while in 2015, he was promoted to the post of Group General Manager, COMD.
He is the focal person for the Open Government Initiative, the initiative that helps the government to track the buyer and seller of crude oil. On 13 May 2018, he became the Nigerian national representative at OPEC.
In October 2022, former President Muhammadu Buhari conferred a national honour of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) on him.
He was also named the outstanding employer of the year 2024 by the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) in April 2023, among numerous awards.
Kyari has been applauded by oil and gas stakeholders within and outside the country for returning the national oil company to profitability and also reviving the nation’s refineries.
As he marks his 60th birthday, Kyari expressed his profound gratitude to the country for giving him the opportunity to grow from an Almajiri (Tsangaya) school pupil to become the CEO of Africa’s largest energy company.
He deeply appreciates the exceptional privilege given to him by Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Ahmed Tinubu to serve as the last GMD of the NNPC and the pioneer CEO of the NNPC Ltd.
In his birthday message, Kyari said, “Reflecting backwards alone can’t account for the profoundly eventful life I spent to this date, walking through good and bad times, travails and triumphs, pains and happiness, fails and successes, and many more that only the sufficiency of Allah will explain.
“At this milestone, I feel the obligation to serve with even greater conviction and with elevated expectation of eternal recompense so deeply pleasing.
“I am hugely indebted to my family for being nearly absent for most of my later years serving our nation and the common good.
“My deep appreciation to my family, friends, and associates; my colleagues at work; my teachers (western and of Almajiri extractions); and many unmentioned people who account for many of my accomplishments, unconditional support, and my overall well-being.
“This is a turning point, and I seek forgiveness from anyone I might have hurt unintentionally or unavoidably,” he wrote on his X handle.
