Abba Kyari
Nigerian politician (1952–2020) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nigerian politician (1952–2020) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Abba Kyari CFR OON (23 September 1952 – 17 April 2020)[2] was a Nigerian lawyer[3] who served as Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria from August 2015 to April 2020.[4]
Abba Kyari | |
|---|---|
| |
| Chief of Staff to the President | |
| In office 27 August 2015 – 17 April 2020 | |
| President | Muhammadu Buhari |
| Preceded by | Jones Arogbofa |
| Succeeded by | Ibrahim Gambari |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 September 1952 Borno, Northern Region, British Nigeria (now Borno State, Nigeria) |
| Died | 17 April 2020 (aged 67) Lagos, Nigeria |
| Spouse | Hajiya Kulu Kyari |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | University of Warwick University of Cambridge Nigerian Law School International Institute for Management Development |
| Profession | Lawyer and banker[1] |
| Awards | Order of the Niger |
Kyari was born on 23 September 1952, to a Shuwa Arab family from Borno. He was educated in St. Paul's College in Wusasa, Zaria, and later considered joining the Nigerian Army following advice from Mamman Daura and Ibrahim Tahir.[5] In 1976, he met General Muhammadu Buhari who was then Governor of Borno State.[6]
Kyari graduated with a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Warwick in 1980,[7] and later obtained a law degree from the University of Cambridge.[8] Kyari was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1983 after attending the Nigerian Law School.[9] In 1984, he obtained a master's degree in law from the University of Cambridge.[10] He later attended the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland,[11] and in 1992 and 1994 participated in the Harvard Business School's Program for Leadership Development.[12]
Kyari worked for the law firm Fani-Kayode and Sowemimo for some time after his return to Nigeria.[13]
From 1988 to 1990, he was editor with the New Africa Holdings Limited Kaduna. He was a Commissioner for Forestry and Animal Resources in Borno State in the 1990s.[14]
From 1990 to 1995, Kyari was the secretary to the board of the African International Bank Limited, a subsidiary of Bank of Credit and Commerce International.[14]
Kyari was an executive director in charge of management services at the United Bank for Africa, and was later appointed the chief executive officer. In 2002, he was appointed a board director of Unilever Nigeria, and later served on the board of Exxon Mobil Nigeria.[12]
In August 2015, Kyari was appointed Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari.[15][16] As chief of staff, he was widely considered to be the face of an infamous was that wielded high political powers in the government.[17][18]
During the administration's first term, he worked mainly behind the scenes to implement the president's agenda.[19] After Buhari won re-election in 2019, he ordered his cabinet members to channel all requests through Kyari's office[20] — further enhancing his influence within government circles, and being labelled as the de facto head of government.[21]
In 2017, following a leaked memo, Kyari became embroiled in a public argument with the Head of Civil Service,[22] who was later removed from office and then arrested.[23][24] In 2020, in another leaked memo, Babagana Monguno the National Security Adviser accused Kyari of meddling in matters of national security.[25]
Kyari was married to the sister-in-law of Ibrahim Tahir,[26] and had four children, Aisha, Nurudeen, Ibrahim, Zainab.[27][5]
On 24 March 2020, it was made public that Kyari had tested positive for COVID-19 following an official trip to Germany nine days before.[28] There were reports that he had been flown out of the country for treatment,[29] and Reuters later reported he had "a history of medical complications, including diabetes".[30]
On 29 March 2020, Kyari announced he was being moved from isolation in Abuja to Lagos for "preventive treatment".[31] Kyari later died on the evening of 17 April 2020 at age 67. His death was a very huge blow to the nation.[32] He was eulogised by The Economist as "a largely honourable man who went to the heart of a thoroughly corrupt and dysfunctional system, aiming to reform it—but who struggled to overcome its inertia amid a series of crises."[33]
Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON)[34]  |
National honour in Nigeria |
Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR)[35]_-_Nigeria_-_ribbon_bar.gif){kind=small} |
