Identical twin brothers, Hussaini and Hassan Malami, are among the successful recruits of the Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation Tigers Class of 2026, after both secured positions at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited despite initially having different views about joining the company.

The brothers’ recruitment has also challenged a common misconception that NNPC does not employ more than one person from the same family.

Vanguard reported that Hussaini had always wanted to work at NNPC and immediately applied when recruitment opened. He also encouraged Hassan to submit an application.

Hassan, however, was initially reluctant because he believed NNPC only hired one person per family and did not want to interfere with his brother’s ambition.

His own career aspiration was to join the Nigerian Air Force and serve the country. He already worked in the banking sector and had not considered a corporate career.

His doubts were also influenced by the experience of three older siblings — a lawyer, an engineer and a business administrator — who had previously applied to NNPC without success.

Hassan eventually applied close to the deadline following repeated encouragement from his twin.

The brothers sat for the computer-based test on the same day but in different locations, with Hussaini taking his test in Sokoto and Hassan in Kaduna.

After going through the recruitment process, including interviews, both brothers received employment letters on the same day.

“I opened the email after midnight and wanted to wake everybody up to tell them,” Hussaini laughed.

Hassan discovered the news after seeing it on the family WhatsApp group when he woke up.

He said Hussaini’s success made him nervous about his own chances.

“I was now nervous about the possibility of not being successful once Hussaini shared his news,” he said.

Both brothers eventually secured positions at NNPC.

Hussaini now works with NNPC Exploration & Production Limited (NNPC E&P Limited), while Hassan is with NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC).

For Hassan, his new position has provided an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Nigeria’s gas industry.

“I didn’t know there was a whole business dedicated to transporting gas,” Hassan said. “Now I’ve seen how gas powers plants and manufacturing companies…Hearing that gas is the future is one thing. Seeing how it is happening is another.”

Although Hassan had initially been uninterested in a corporate career, he now considers his work at NNPC another way of serving Nigeria.

He still hopes to explore military service before reaching the age limit in 2030.

Hussaini, meanwhile, said his experience has strengthened his long-standing ambition to contribute to society. He also hopes to return to his university as a guest lecturer and share his professional experience with students.

“When I was in university, I only had one lecturer with field experience,” he said. “I want to share practical experience with students someday.”

Asked which NNPC culture transformation pillar best reflects his mindset, Hussaini selected Enterprise First.

He explained his choice by saying that “giving your best to the company is giving your best to the country.”

Hassan identified with Execution Excellence, drawing from his background as a civil engineer.

“I’m a civil engineer…I like seeing things come to life from concept to completion,” he said.

The twins also urged young Nigerians interested in joining NNPC not to be discouraged by rumours about the recruitment process.

“Ignore the rumours. You don’t need to know anybody at NNPC. Apply. Take the test and earn your place,” they said.

Their story demonstrates that being from the same family does not prevent multiple candidates from securing opportunities at NNPC, provided they meet the requirements and successfully navigate the recruitment process.