Mohammed Barkindo, the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), has passed away. He died on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, some hours after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Barkindo’s demise was disclosed by Mele Kyari, the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
“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,” Kyari tweeted.
As of the time of filing this report, the cause of Barkindo’s death remained unknown.
Meanwhile, during the reception at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, Buhari described the outgoing OPEC Secretary-General as a worthy ambassador of Nigeria.
‘‘You have indeed been a worthy ambassador of our country. We are proud of your achievements before and during your appointment at OPEC and the proud legacies you will leave behind.
‘‘Your time in charge of the affairs of OPEC has been a very challenging one for the global oil industry. Oil producers were finding it difficult to come together to address challenges that were crippling the oil market.
‘‘Not long after, the world was faced with the COVID-19 pandemic that sent crude prices spiralling down at an alarming rate. You showed incredible leadership to rally industry players and pushed through the turbulent times.
‘‘There is no doubt about your efforts in putting together the Declaration of Cooperation which is the largest in the history of OPEC and the global oil industry and also the longest in duration in the history of the organization. This was a herculean task,” the President stated.
