Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo, Secretary General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Aaron M Bloomberg | Getty Images
Muhammad Barkindo, Nigerian politician and Secretary General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, has died at the age of 63.
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) chief Melle Kyari announced the news in a tweet Wednesday, confirmed by two OPEC sources.
“We have lost respected Dr. Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo,” tweeted early Wednesday morning from his verified Twitter account.
“He passed away at around 11pm yesterday the 5th of July 2022. Certainly a great loss to his immediate family, NNPC, our country Nigeria, OPEC and the global energy community. Burial arrangements will be announced soon.”
Barkindo’s unexpected death came as a surprise to members of the oil and gas world, who many have described as a giant in the industry.
His career spanned over four decades and included work for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Duke Oil, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Energy, as well as OPEC.
This is a breaking news story, please check back later for more information.
