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Breaking News, Opec Secretary General, Muhammad Barkindo Dies @63 In Abuja

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The death of the two term OPEC Secretary General has been announced in a tweet by the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari.

In the early hours of Wednesday, Mr Kyari, on his verified Twitter handle, had written,

@MKKyari, “We lost our esteemed Dr Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo. He died at about 11pm yesterday, July 5 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.”

The cause of his death was unknown at the time of filing this report.

Mr Barkindo’s term as secretary-general was to end on July 31. On Tuesday, he delivered a keynote address at the Nigerian Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition in Abuja, which runs from July 4 to 7. Nigeria joined OPEC in 1971. The country marked its 50th Anniversary in OPEC last year.

Late Barkindo standing in the middle

He was born April 20th, 1959, and died on July 5th aged 63.

Following the announcement of his death by the NNPC GMD, a former senator Shehu Sani, tweeted,

“Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo, former GMD NNPC and until recently, @OPECSecretariat scribe, was honoured yesterday. He died 11pm yesternight. May Allah grant him Aljanna firdausi. Amin. That is the ephemerality and transience of life.”

On Tuesday,  Mr Barkindo met President Muhammadu Buhari along with some OPEC delegates in Abuja. In a statement by OPEC, the meeting took place mainly to honour Barkindo’s two-term tenure as secretary-general of OPEC.

In the meeting, President Buhari, Welcomed him back home and saying, “We are proud of your distinguished achievements at OPEC. You were able to successfully navigate the Organization through turbulent challenges.”

Responding, Barkindo said, “I and my colleagues from the OPEC Secretariat are deeply honoured by your audience, Mr President, as well as of the honourable Minister Sylva and other senior officials of the Nigerian oil and gas industry.”

He later briefed the President on oil market developments and the vital role the Declaration of Cooperation played in stabilising the global oil market over the duration of his tenure.

Muhammad Barkindo being honoured. 

Nelly Agwu is an educationist, a journalist, a Blogger, graduate of History. Very dynamic and a realist. A mouthpiece of the oppressed. Easy going and a Philanthropist.

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