Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), has shared reflections on his journey from being an Almajiri school student to leading Africa’s largest energy company. He also vowed to serve the nation with renewed conviction and commitment.
Kyari made these remarks in a post on X, marking his 60th birthday, which coincides with the typical retirement age for most public agency heads. He was born on January 8, 1965, and was appointed CEO by former President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2019.
A seasoned oil industry professional, Kyari has dedicated 32 years of his career to NNPC.
In his post, Kyari expressed gratitude for his life, saying, “Allah, by his grace, spared my life to this exceptional day, making it my 60th year from birth, even much earlier on the Hijri calendar.”
He also expressed deep appreciation for the opportunities that allowed him to rise from his early education as an Almajiri (Tsangaya) student to becoming CEO of NNPC Ltd., Africa’s largest energy firm. Kyari specifically thanked Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the privilege of serving as the final Group Managing Director of NNPC and the first CEO of NNPC Ltd.
Kyari described his life as one of both struggles and successes, attributing his achievements to divine grace. He acknowledged the challenges he had faced and sought forgiveness from anyone he may have unintentionally wronged.
Reflecting on his path, Kyari stated, “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, Kyari committed to continuing his service with greater dedication and to the expectation of eternal rewards. He expressed deep gratitude to his family, friends, colleagues, and teachers, especially those from his Almajiri background, who have supported him throughout his journey.
