Mele Kolo Kyari Group Managing Director Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)

-By Danlami Nasir Isah

Mele Kolo Kyari was born on the 8th of January 1965 in Maiduguri, Borno State. He attended Government Community Secondary School Biu in Borno State between 1977 to 1982. Mallam Kyari graduated from University of Maiduguri in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Geology.

He has 28 years of working experience in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry. He started his carrier as a Field Geologist with the Department of Geological Survey of Nigeria. He joined NNPC in 1991 as a Processing Geophysicist with Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL).

In 1998 he was deployed to National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) as an Exploration Geophysist. In 2007, Mallam Kyari was given the role to head Production Sharing Contracts Management in Crude Oil Marketing Division (COMD).

While in COMD, he displayed exceptional management qualities that led to his appointment in 2014 as General Manager, Crude Oil Stock Management and in 2015 he became the Group General Manager, COMD, a position he held before his appointment as GMD.

Mallam Kyari has attended several high level leadership training programmes both at home and overseas. Mr. Kyari is currently the Country’s National Representative in Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) where he provides leadership and participates in engagements relating to Crude oil and Gas production and associated market issues.

Mallam Kyari’s notable achievements include: Transformational leadership qualities in the efficient management of the complex crude oil Marketing of the nation’s crude oil through the establishment of world class systems and processes.

He led a team that proposed and managed the Direct Sales and Direct Purchase (DSDP) arrangement of Petroleum products from 2016 to date, a process that saved the Nation $1 billion in 2016 when compared with the previous crude SWAP arrangement with products.

He also lead various work teams in developing the Petroleum Industry Bill ensuring that Government take in the Production Sharing Contract Arrangement is greatly enhanced.

Establishment of world class systems and processes for the sale and disposal of Nigerian Crude oil and Natural Gas liquids leading to optimization of values and transparency of transactions conducted on behalf of the Corporation and the Federation at large.

Kyari contributed immensely in resolving the disputes with International Oil Companies (IOCs) arising from the various interpretation issues with the PSCs averting claims of $9 billion dollars filed by the IOCs.

Mele Kyari had projected positive National image at various international fora by presenting papers that highlight the enhanced and transparent National dealings in petroleum trades by the NNPC.

“A good leader inspires others with confidence in him; a great leader inspires them with confidence in themselves” – anonymous, the latter can be said of Kyari having inspired confidence in actors in the oil and gas industry, both nationally and internationally with pursuance of reforms in the NNPC.

These has earned Kyari accolades from Nigeria Extractive Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) which harps on global standard for the good governance of oil, gas and mineral resources.

Kyari, whose focus on transparency in the sector cannot be quantified, introduced monthly product report, first of its kind in the NNPC.

Mr. Kyari was appointed the 19th Group Managing Director of the NNPC by President Muhammadu Buhari on 8th July 2019.

He was decorated with a Fellowship award by the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) in the month of November 2019, during the association’s international conference and exhibition in Lagos.

It was in recognition of his leadership style that the Valuechain Magazine recently bestowed on Kyari an award of excellence for great qualities and transparency as he champions the affairs of the NNPC.

His hobbies include reading, writing and farming.