OPEC Secretary-General, Barkindo, dies 24 hours after meeting with Buhari

The outgoing Secretary-General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo, was proclaimed dead in less than 24 hours after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja. Barkindo died at about 1.001pm on Tuesday at the age of 63 years.

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum

Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, had disclosed the death of the OPEC Secretary-General, Barkindo, in the early hours of Wednesday. He described Barkindo’s death as a great loss to his immediate family, NNPC Nigeria, OPEC and the global energy community.

Mele Kyari, in a statement on his twitter handle, @MKKyari, at 4.32am on Wednesday, 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,”

Barkindo had visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday. The President had commended the deceased six-year tenure as OPEC Secretary-General, eulogizing him as a worthy ambassador of Nigeria.