OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo dies at 63

• Mohammed Barkindo, the secretary general of OPEC has passed away.
• The 63-year-old passed away just after meeting Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.
• Barkindo was due to join the Global Energy Center of the Atlantic Council as a distinguished fellow

Mohammad Barkindo, the secretary general of OPEC, has passed away, according to the head of Nigerian National Petroleum Corp (NNPC), who made the announcement on Wednesday.

After six years in the top position at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Barkindo, a 63-year-old veteran of the oil sector, was scheduled to retire at the end of this month (OPEC).

NNPC CEO Mele Kyari posted on Twitter, “We lost our revered Dr Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo,” noting that he passed away late on Tuesday.

According to Kyari, the demise is a “huge loss to his personal family, the NNPC, our nation Nigeria, the OPEC, and the world energy community.”

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Several hours after meeting Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and delivering the keynote address at an energy forum in Abuja, according to Kyari, Barkindo passed away.

Global shocks that have wracked the industry have distinguished his time as OPEC’s leader.

Barkindo declared the oil and gas industry is “under siege” and still hurting from the significant investment losses of previous years during his keynote speech in Abuja only hours before his passing.

The dramatic market slump in 2015 and 2016 and the much more widespread effects of the Covid-19 outbreak, according to Barkindo, “have both had a very significant influence on the sector in a very short period of time.”

In Nigeria in the early 1980s, Barkindo started his career in the oil sector. He worked at the NNPC in a number of positions and represented Nigeria on the Economic Commission Board of OPEC.

In 2006, he served as the organization’s temporary secretary general before taking over the post permanently ten years later. During this time, he guided OPEC through a period of volatile oil prices and encouraged the group to work more closely with non-OPEC oil producers.

“It has been a lifetime privilege to serve as OPEC’s Secretary General for two terms. We have seen both difficult and historic events over the past six years, which have repeatedly highlighted the need of cooperation and teamwork “In his keynote address on Tuesday, Barkindo stated.

Angola’s oil minister, Diamantino Azevedo, told Reuters that Barkindo constantly tried to find common ground for the benefit of the group.

Barkindo was scheduled to join the Global Energy Center of the Atlantic Council, a U.S. think tank, as a distinguished fellow after leaving OPEC, the Council just revealed.

“The OPEC Family is shocked by this incident. We convey our grief and sincere thanks for Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo’s more than 40 years of devoted service to OPEC. His commitment and vision will motivate OPEC for many years to come “the Tweet from the OPEC Secretariat read.

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