Who is Mele Kyari?
Mele Kyari’s full name is Mele Kolo Kyari. He is a former Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
How old is Mele Kyari?
Kyari was born on January 8, 1965. He is currently 60 years old.
Birth sign
His birth sign is Capricorn. Capricorns are known for their traits of responsibility, tact, and simplicity. They do not hold grudges; they approach life pragmatically and can be superstitious in nature. They are sometimes referred to as missionaries on a hunt for faith.
Tribe and state of origin
Mele K. Kyari was born in Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno state.
Family: Wife and children
Children
- Muhammad (son)
- Sadiya (daughter)
- Fatima (late daughter)
Is Mele Kyari related to Abba Kyari?
Mele Kyari is not related to Abba Kyari.
Education
Kyari attended Government Secondary School, Biu in Borno State between 1977 and 1982 for his secondary school education. He would proceed to the University of Maiduguri, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Geology and Earth Science.
Career
Before career success
Mele Kyari is a former pupil of the Almajiri (Tsangaya) school. In a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) page in celebration of his 60th birthday wrote; “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. I am profoundly grateful to my country for giving me the opportunity to grow from an Almajiri (Tsangaya) school pupil to become the CEO of Africa’s largest energy company. Even more particular, I deeply appreciate the exceptional privilege given to me 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. 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 and my teachers (western and of Almajiri extractions), and many unmentioned people who account for many of my accomplishments, unconditional support and my overall wellbeing. This is a turning point, and I seek forgiveness from anyone I might have hurt unintentionally or unavoidably.”
Career journey
After his graduation in 1987, Mele Kyari, during his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme, worked as a Well Site Geologist with the Directorate of Foods, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI) between 1987 and 1988.
Upon completion of his NYSC service, Kyari worked at the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency between 1988 and 1991 before joining NNPC as a Seismic Data Processing Geophysicist in the Data Processing Department of Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL) in 1992.
He would later serve as the NNPC Group Chairman of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) from 1997 to 1999. In 1998, he was appointed as the Exploration Geophysicist, Production Sharing Contract (PSC), at the National Petroleum Investments Management Services (NAPIMS) and later the Head of NAPIMS Operations in Abuja in 2004.
In 2006, he was appointed the Supervisor PSC, Crude Oil Marketing Department (COMD) of the NNPC, from where he rose to the position of Head, and later Manager of Production Contracts Management of the COMD between 2007 and 2014.
Kyari was appointed General Manager Oil Stock Management, COMD, where he worked till 2015 when he was appointed Group General Manager, COMD, and later Nigeria’s National Representative at OPEC.
He was the secretary of the FG inter-agency team that coordinated the creation of the basis of the fiscal and regulatory framework of the PIB.
In June 2019, Kyari was appointed as the 19th Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC by the administration of ex-president Muhammadu Buhari. He succeeded the incumbent GMD, Maikanti Baru, who was due for retirement the next month.
In April 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sacked Kyari as the CEO of NNPC Limited and replaced him with Bayo Ojulari.
Pius Akinyelure, an alleged close ally of Kyari and the chairman of the NNPC board, was also affected by the shake-up. Akinyelure was replaced by Musa Ahmadu-Kida.
Mele Kyari career summary
- 1988 – Nigerian Geological Survey Agency
- 1991 – Integrated Data Services Limited (NNPC subsidiary) – Seismic Data Processing Geophysicist
- 1998 – National Petroleum Investments Management Services (NAPIMS) – Exploration Geophysicist Production Sharing Contract (PSC)
- 2004 – National Petroleum Investments Management Services (NAPIMS) – Abuja Operations Manager
- 2006 – Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) – Supervisor PSC, Crude Oil Marketing Department (COMD)
- 2007 – Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) – Head PSC, Crude Oil Marketing Department (COMD)
- 2014 – Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) – Manager, Production Contracts Management, Crude Oil Marketing Department (COMD)
- Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) – General Manager Oil Stock Management, Crude Oil Marketing Department (COMD)
- 2015 – Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) – Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Department (COMD)
- 2018 – National Representative to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
- 2019 – Group Managing Director (GMD) of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
- In total, Mele Kyari worked for the NNPC and NNPCL for 34 years. He spent 17 of those years in managerial roles and 5 years and 9 months as the head of the organisation.
Awards and recognition
- Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), a national honor conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari in October 2022
- Outstanding Employer of The Year 2022 Award presented to him by the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) in April 2023.
Net worth
There is no publicly available data from any reputable platform that estimates Kyari’s net worth. Some platforms considers him as one of the richest men in the oil & gas industry considering his years of service in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp.
Meanwhile, the NNPCL in 2023 spent N583.797 billion on staff salaries, wages, and other benefits. A report claimed Kyari, alongside the chief financial officer (CFO), Umar Ajiya, and other executives of the organisation received about N3.051 billion as emoluments.
Controversy
Few days after his sack by President Tinubu, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) initiated an investigation into alleged abuse of office and misappropriation of funds by former top officials of the NNPC Ltd, including Mele Kyari.
A letter, with reference number CR:3000/EFCC/ABJ/HQ/SDC.2/NNPC/VOL.1/698, dated 28 April, addressed to the NNPC Managing Director, showed that the EFCC is seeking certified records of salaries and allowances paid to 14 officials, including those who have retired.
Disclaimer
The information in this article was curated from online sources. NewsWireNGR or its editorial team cannot independently verify all details.
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