OPEC chief Mohammad Barkindo dies

The secretary-general of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has died in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, the country’s oil chief said.

Mohammad Barkindo, a Nigerian oil industry veteran who steered the group through the creation of the OPEC+ alliance, was due to step down at the end of this month after six years at the OPEC top job, reports al-jazeera.

He was 63.

The head of Nigeria’s National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, announced the news in a tweet early on Wednesday, which was later confirmed by two sources at OPEC.

“We lost our esteemed Dr Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo,” Kyari tweeted.

The cause of death was not known yet.

Barkindo’s career spanned over four decades and it included stints at NNPC and Nigeria’s foreign and energy ministries. He had returned to Abuja in preparation for a post-OPEC career.

Agencies