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The demise of Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, who was until July 5, 2022, the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), is a great loss to the nation and the global oil industry. The petroleum industry icon, who died in service, was billed to retire from OPEC in August before his recent shocking demise. Barkindo was hosted by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja as part of his post-OPEC career preparation. He also participated in this year’s Nigerian Oil and Gas Conference.
The deceased would have joined the Atlantic Council as a distinguished fellow in the Global Energy Centre at the end of his term in July 31. He honed his managerial skills at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) before proceeding to OPEC Headquarters in Vienna, Austria.
No doubt, he redefined the nation’s oil sector and equally carried out far-reaching reforms to ensure stability in the global oil sector. He was instrumental to the creation of the OPEC+ alliance between OPEC members and other oil-producing countries, which helped immensely to stabilise the global oil market.
Barkindo used his sterling leadership skills to successfully manage the oil cartel during the COVID-19 pandemic. In his death, Nigeria has lost a great man and an astute manager in the oil sector. Born on April 20, 1959 in Adamawa State, Barkindo served as the Secretary-General of OPEC from August 1, 2016 until his death on July 5, 2022 at the age of 63. However, the cause of death was not disclosed.
His remains have been laid to rest in Yola, Adamawa State. He got his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1981 and his Master of Business Administration degree from Southeastern University, Washington, D.C. in 1991. Earlier, he had earned a postgraduate diploma in Petroleum Economics in 1988 from Oxford University.
He became a fellow of the George Mason University, Fairfax VA, United States from 2013 to 2016 and got his Honorary Doctorate Degree in Science at the Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, Adamawa State. He worked with the Nigerian Mining Corporation (NMC), Jos, from 1982-1985 and rose to the position of the Principal Administrative Officer, Liaison Office, Lagos. Thereafter, he served as the Special Assistant to the Minister of Mines, Power and Steel. From 1986 to 1989, he was the Special Assistant to the Minister of Petroleum Resources and Head, Office of the Chairman of the NNPC Board.
In 1990, he became Special Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lagos. He became the Head, International Investments, Investment Division, NNPC Headquarters, in 1992. He served as the General Manager in the London office of NNPC from 1993-1997. Later, he worked as the Managing Director/Chief Executive, Hyson/Calson, an international trading arm of the NNPC from 1998-2003.
Apart from being appointed the Group General Manager Investments, NNPC Headquarters in 2003, he became the Deputy Managing Director/Chief Executive, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) in 2005. In 2007, he was elevated to the office of Coordinator Special Projects, NNPC. Between January 2009 and April 2010, he served as Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC
Barkindo was a Nigerian delegate to OPEC Ministerial Conferences, between 1986 and 2010. Between 1993 and 2008, he served as Nigeria’s National Representative on OPEC’s Economic Commission Board (ECB). He became the Secretary-General of OPEC on August 1, 2016. He also served as Acting Secretary-General in 2006 and he had been the head of Nigeria’s technical delegation to UN climate negotiations since 1991. His term at OPEC witnessed a series of production cuts intended to keep global oil markets in balance, culminating in the unprecedented reductions during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Considering his numerous achievements in the global oil industry, we urge OPEC to immortalise him. We commiserate with his family, the government and people of Adamawa State, the nation and the global oil sector on the irreparable loss.
