By Adewole Kehinde.
I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou comest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nation”-Jeremiah 1:5
The quote above aptly captures the amazing story and lifestyle of a man created to serve mankind and render selfless service to humanity. Mallam Mele Kyari is the man in question.
When President Muhammadu Buhari on June 20, 2019, appointed Mal Mele Kyari as the new Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), alongside 7 new Chief Operating Officers to work with the current office holders till July 7, 2019, I said to myself that this is the best appointment so far by his administration.
Mal. Mele Kyari was born in Maiduguri, Borno state on the 8th of January, 1965. He obtained his secondary school certificate from Government Community Secondary School, Biu in Borno State between 1977 and 1982, and later, in 1987, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Geology from the University of Maiduguri.
Achievements: In 2007, Kyari won the GMD Prize for the Overall Best Performance for the NNPC Management Development Program, having traversed the entire value chain of the petroleum industry with resounding records and performance in all his assignments. He was awarded the Group Executive Director (GED) certificate for the best performance in leadership.
Before Kyari was appointed the GMD of NNPC, he was Nigeria’s National Representative at the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and also doubled as the Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division, of NNPC. He has held this position since May 13th, 2018.
Since he assumed office, he has been from one award to another for cleaning up the mess in the NNPC and restoring investors and major players in the oil and gas industry confidence.
I must commend Mal. Mele Kyari for the overwhelming innovations, wisdom, and creativity brought to bear in the management of the nation’s hydrocarbons.
His selfless decision to drive the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which has positioned NNPC Limited as a commercially-driven energy company that will compete with other National Oil Companies (NOCs) to meet the expectations of its shareholders and stakeholders,
Some of the ongoing laudable projects embarked on by NNPC Limited under the management of Mal. Mele Kyari includes Rehabilitation of Port Harcourt and Warri Refineries; Petrochemical Company; Partnership programmes with host communities like Ogidigbe Industrial Complex and Maiduguri 50MW power plants; “Resolution of the 30-year old trade conflict and renewal of six productive OML; construction of the E-OWEP gas pipeline to increase gas supply to our national gas hubs; and construction of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Natural Gas Pipeline.”
There is no doubt that all these projects will lead to maximum utilization of the nation’s hydrocarbon resources, guarantee steady power supply, impact positively on the nation’s manufacturing sector, and provide job opportunities in the hydrocarbon industry for Nigerians, especially at this critical time.
Adewole Kehinde is an Energy Sector Fellow/Consultant for the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Policy Centre. 08166240846, 08123608662 Email: kennyadewole@gmail.comÂ
