An haifi Kofi Annan a ranar 8 ga Afrilu, 1938 a Kumasi, Ghana. Ya sami digiri na farko a fannin tattalin arziki daga Kwalejin Macalester da ke St. Paul, Minnesota, sannan ya yi digiri na biyu daga Cibiyar Nazarin Kasa da Kasa ta Graduate a Geneva, Switzerland.
A shekarar 1961, ya fara aiki a Hukumar Lafiya ta Duniya (WHO), inda ya fara aiki a matsayin masanin tattalin arziki sannan kuma ya zama daraktan sashen kasafin kudinta. A cikin 1987, ya zama mataimakin babban sakataren WHO; Bayan shekaru biyu ya zama Babban Darakta na UNDP (United Nations Development Programme).
A cikin 1992 an nada shi mataimakin Sakatare-Janar na ayyukan wanzar da zaman lafiya na Majalisar Dinkin Duniya da mai kula da agajin gaggawa na tsohuwar Yugoslavia; wannan matsayi ya sa ya zama sananne a cikin ayyukansa na ‘yan gudun hijira a lokacin rikici.
A shekarar 1999 aka nada shi Sakatare-Janar na UNDP; Shekaru biyu bayan haka ya zama Sakatare-Janar na Majalisar Dinkin Duniya bayan samun goyon baya daga dukkan kasashe biyar din din din din a kwamitin sulhu.
A shekara ta 2001, ya kafa gidauniyar Kofi Annan wadda ke da nufin inganta ci gaba mai dorewa da shugabanci na gari ta hanyar samar da hadin gwiwa tsakanin gwamnatoci, da ‘yan kasuwa, da kungiyoyin farar hula a duniya.
Ya rasu ne bayan ya yi fama da gajeruwar rashin lafiya a wani asibiti da ke birnin Bern na kasar Switzerland a ranar 18 ga Agusta, 2018.
Ya shahara da ayyukansa a Afirka da ma duniya baki daya.
