Abba Kyari

Mr Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, has died of COVID-19 infection.

This was disclosed in a series of tweets by the Senior Special Assistant, Media & Publicity to President Buhari, Garba Shehu. The tweets read:

“The Presidency regrets to announce the passage of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari.”

“The deceased had tested positive to the ravaging COVID-19, and had been receiving treatment. But he died on Friday, April 17, 2020.”

“May God accept his soul. Funeral arrangements will be announced shortly.”

Kyari tested positive for Coronavirus and his status was made public on  March 23 . Then, he had only returned from an official trip to Germany nine days earlier.

A Kanuri from Borno State,  he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Warwick, UK in 1980. He also obtained a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Cambridge. He was called to the Nigerian Bar after attending the Nigerian Law School.

Kyari worked for the law firm of Fani-Kayode and Sowemimo for some time after his return to Nigeria. From 1988 to 1990, he was Editor with the New Africa Holdings Limited, Kaduna.

In 1990, he served as a Commissioner for Forestry and Animal Resources in Borno State. From 1990 to 1995, Kyari was  Secretary to the board of African International Bank Limited, a subsidiary of Bank of Credit and Commerce International.

He was an executive director in charge of management services at the United Bank for Africa and was later appointed as the Chief Executive Officer. In 2002, he was appointed as a  board director of Unilever Nigeria. He later served on the board of Exxon Mobil Nigeria.

He is survived by his wife and four children.