Outgoing Secretary General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo is dead.
Barkindo, 63, was said to have died at about 11 pm on Tuesday.
His death was announced in the early hours of Wednesday by NNPC GMD, Mele Kyari, who described his departure as a great loss to his immediate family, NNPC Nigeria, OPEC and global energy community.
Though the cause of his death was not disclosed in the tweet, Barkindo was received at the State House Tuesday by President Muhammadu Buhari, who lauded the outgoing OPEC secretary general’s six-year tenure and described him as a worthy ambassador of Nigeria.
In a statement on his verified Twitter handlle, @MKKyari, at 4.32am Weddnesday, the NNPC GMD wrote: ”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.”
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 (@MKKyari) July 6, 2022
Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo was born in Yola, Adamawa on 20th April 1959. He had been Secretary General of OPEC since 1 August, 2016.
He previously served as Acting Secretary General in 2006, represented Nigeria on OPEC’s Economic Commission Board during 1993–2008, led the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation during 2009–2010, and has headed Nigeria’s technical delegation to UN climate negotiations since 1991.
