Secretary-General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo, has died at the age of 63.
According to reports, Barkindo died about 11 pm on Tuesday.
His death was announced in the early hours of Wednesday by NNPC GMD, Mele Kyari, who described his departure as a great loss to his immediate family, NNPC Nigeria, OPEC and the global energy community.
In a statement on his verified Twitter handle, @MKKyari, at 4.32 am Wednesday, the NNPC GMD wrote: ”We lost our esteemed Dr Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo. He died at about 11 pm 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,”
Only on Tuesday the same day he died, Barkindo was received at the State House by President Muhammadu Buhari, who lauded his six-year tenure as the OPEC Secretary-General and described him as a worthy ambassador of Nigeria.
Prominent Nigerians have also been paying him tributes on social media. Among them is Senator Shehu Sani.
He wrote: “Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo, former GMD NNPC and until recently, @OPECSecretariat scribe, was celebrated and honoured yesterday. He died 11 pm Yesternight. May Allah grant him Aljanna firdausi. Amin. That is the ephemerality and transience of life.
