OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo Has Died

The Secretary General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Mohammad Barkindo passed away on Tuesday at the age of 63, announced the head of Nigeria’s state oil corporation NNPC on Wednesday. A veteran of the oil industry, he was set to step down from his leadership position at OPEC at the end of the month after a six-year term, Reuters notes.

– “We have lost our esteemed Dr. Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo,” wrote the CEO of the Nigerian company Mele Kyari, adding that Barkindo died on Tuesday evening.

His death is ‘a great loss for his family, NNPC, our country Nigeria, OPEC, and the global energy community,’ Kyari wrote. He added that Barkindo passed away a few hours after meeting with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and speaking at an energy summit in Abuja.

His tenure at the helm of OPEC was marked by global shocks in the oil and gas industry, Reuters notes.

In a speech in Abuja, Barkindo stated that the oil and gas industry is ‘under pressure’ and still recovering from massive investment losses over the past years.

– “In a very short period, the industry has faced two major cycles – a severe market crisis in 2015 and 2016 and the COVID-19 pandemic with even more far-reaching consequences,” Barkindo said.

He began his career in the oil industry in Nigeria in the early 1980s. He held various positions in the state oil company and represented Nigeria on OPEC’s Economic Commission Board. In 2006, he was the Deputy Secretary General of OPEC, and ten years later, he took the helm of the oil cartel, leading it through a turbulent period for the oil market, marked, among other things, by increased cooperation with independent producers.

– “Serving as Secretary General of OPEC for two terms has been a life honor for me. Over the past six years, we have witnessed both challenging and historic moments, which have continually emphasized the importance of cooperation and teamwork,” Barkindo said in his speech in Abuja.

Diamantino Azevedo, the oil minister of OPEC member Angola, told Reuters that Barkindo always sought to achieve consensus for the benefit of the organization.

After leaving OPEC, Barkindo was set to join the American institute, the Global Energy Center of the Atlantic Council, as a distinguished fellow, the Council recently announced.

– “This tragedy is a shock for OPEC. We express our sorrow and deep gratitude for over 40 years of selfless service by Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo in OPEC. His dedication and leadership will inspire OPEC for many years to come,” the oil cartel’s secretariat wrote on Twitter.