It was a celebration filled with laughter, prayers, and sweet memories as Patience Morgan, one of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPC) most beloved staff members, marked her 48th birthday in the Towers where her life’s story unfolded.
Patience began her career at NNPC in the late 1990s as a bright-eyed 20-year-old tea lady, long before the imposing Towers were even furnished. “There were no desks, chairs or furniture and we would stand all day…but I liked the work,” she recalled, flashing her signature electric smile. She would go on to train hundreds of tea ladies, breaking ground as the very first in the Towers.
What started as simple service turned into a story of resilience and elevation. In 2005, Patience was promoted to serve on the 11th floor, the executive level where she has remained for two decades, working with no fewer than 15 Group Chief Executive Officers. Along the way, she conquered fears, including her first encounter with elevators which once terrified her but soon became a source of amusement.
Her journey is as personal as it is professional. “I came here as a young, single girl. I got married here to a pastor…This job and the grace of God helped me train all my five children,” she said, her voice breaking into prayer mid-conversation. Today, three of her children are university graduates, while the younger two are in secondary school.
More than a career, Patience says NNPC gave her a family. “My children are brilliant and by God’s grace, one of them will work for NNPC,” she beamed. Asked what keeps her going, she replied simply: “The people. The kind, hardworking people.”
On her birthday, she wore a lovely outfit, brought a cake to share, and planned only to thank her colleagues and record a brief message of gratitude to the current GCEO, Bayo Bashir Ojulari. What she didn’t know was that providence had other plans—the GCEO himself insisted on joining her for a photo after hearing it was her special day.
From tea lady to trailblazer, Patience Morgan’s journey proves that patience, indeed, pays.
