First Black Professorhip Honoree (Prof. Kwame Kyei)

Prof. Kwame Kyei

Prof. Kwame Kyei was born on  the 2nd February, 1961 in Accra. He hails from Agona wiamoase in the Ashanti region, but grew up in the capital city of Ghana, Accra.

Famously known as a Kumasi-based business mogul, he began his business empire at Taifa in Accra in 1995. Before that time, he had worked for BOST for three years as a transporter in the haulage of Petroleum product. From a humble beginning at Taifa by establishing his retail outlet and becoming a leader in Goil, his business steadily expanded and in 2002 he was granted an Oil Marketing License by the National Petroleum Authority leading to the establishment of Unity Oil Company Ltd.

He is the CEO of a number of businesses including Unity Oil Company Limited, Light FM, Light TV, Vision1 FM, Sports Hotel and the Sport Recreational Centre and many other subsidiaries. Unity Oil the biggest of his businesses, which started at Taifa in Accra has several branches nationwide. Some of these are found at Ofankor (the head office), Ahwiankwanta, Agona Jamasi, Sunyani, Bantama, Asokwa, Afrancho, Asenua, Boankra, Santasi and Atonsu. Others are located at Tanoso, Ahodwo and Takoradi. The business mogul employs over 4000 people.

He has love for sports, having played gutter-to-gutter football in his childhood days and also takes part in keep fit activities and he is also a known committed Kotoko supporter, who visits the stadium to watch matches of the team from time to time. However, just like Dr. Kofi Kodua Sarpong, the astute ex-Kotoko executive chairman, Prof. Kwame Kyei is making his debut as a football administrator of Kumasi Asante Kotoko. He has never even in the past worked behind the scenes for any of the past management.

He was awarded the Best Petroleum and Gas Entrepreneur of the Year at the Entrepreneur Award in 2013, and again received an honorary Doctor of services and Development degree from International Ministerial Council of Europe, an affiliate of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark at a well-attended programme at the University of Cape Coast in the Central Region dubbed 'Ghana Thank You' awards.  He was honoured alongside other well-meaning personalities including the late Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary-General.

The Alfred Nobel University of Ukraine conferred on Dr Kwame Kyei, a First Professorship award, for his outstanding performance in the fight against poverty in the country as well as the development of the nation. The award, under the auspices of the Ukrainian Ministry of Education, was presented by Professor Eugene Cronoff, Dean of Research and Development of the University. He is the first black man to have received such an award.  

For his excellence in women empowerment, research done on Dr. Kwame Kyei showed that he has been empowering women in terms of employment, and per research, Dr. Kyei is the first Ghanaian that had the audacity to employ more women at his filling stations and kept employing more women in his businesses. And his reason for doing that is that “women suffer a lot when they have problems with their husbands and they need to take care of their children and a lot of responsibilities.”

He is a faithful Christian who worships with the Presbyterian Church. He is a humanitarian, who support the poor and the needy in the society, especially students who can’t afford school and tuition fees. Prof. Kwame Kyei has been at the forefront of promoting peace through organising peaceful all-night vigils since 2004 to serve as vanguard for the peace initiative across the country.

He is married to Mrs Favour Kyei and blessed with six (6) children.