The Secretary-General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo, has died.
He died about 11 pm on Tuesday, according to an announcement by the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari.
“We lost our esteemed Dr. Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo. He died at about 11 pm yesterday 5th July 2022.
“Certainly a great loss to his immediate family, the NNPC, our country Nigeria, the OPEC, and the global energy community.
“Burial arrangements will be announced shortly,” Mr. Kyari tweeted on Wednesday morning.
We lost our esteemed Dr Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo. He died at about 11pm yesterday 5th July 2022. Certainly a great loss to his immediate family, the NNPC, our country Nigeria, the OPEC and the global energy community. Burial arrangements will be announced shortly.
— Mele Kyari, OFR (@MKKyari) July 6, 2022
Mr. Barkindo was at the State House, Abuja on Tuesday where he was described as a worthy ambassador of Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari.
His tenure as the OPEC Secretary-General was to end on 31 July.
The 63-year-old was, at different times in the mid-80s to early 90s the Special Assistant to Ministers of Power, Mines, and Steel; Petroleum Resources; and Foreign Affairs.
He worked in various capacities at the NNPC before taking up his last job as the Secretary-General of OPEC in August 2016.
