Outgoing OPEC Secretary-General Barkindo dies suddenly - NNPC

Quantum Commodity Intelligence - The outgoing Secretary-General of OPEC, Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo, died suddenly late Tuesday, less than a month before his retirement, said Nigerian National Petroleum Corp (NNPC).

The news was announced early Wednesday by NNPC General Managing Director Mele Kyari, who described his departure as a great loss to his family, colleagues and the energy community.

He died at about 2300 local time in Nigeria on Tuesday at the age of 63, said NNPC.

In a statement on his verified Twitter account, Kyari 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."

Serving as OPEC's secretary-general for six years, Barkindo played a crucial role in enhancing the cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC countries on stabilising oil markets following the 2020 oil price collapse.

His term at OPEC was scheduled to end on 31 July, while it was announced earlier this week he would take up a fellowship at the Atlantic Council think tank.

Before his appointment at OPEC, Barkindo was a long-serving executive with NNPC.

Barkindo earlier on Tuesday said that he had been honoured by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in Abuja for his work at OPEC.

OPEC said in a statement: "He was the much-loved leader of the OPEC Secretariat and his passing is a profound loss to the entire OPEC Family, the oil industry and the international community."