Secretary-General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo is dead.

Barkindo died on Tuesday evening, according to the Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari.

“We lost our esteemed Dr Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo,” Kyari said in a tweet.

“He died at about 11pm 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.”

Barkindo earlier on Tuesday had been honoured by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in Abuja for his work at OPEC.

His tenure as OPEC Secretary-General was scheduled to expire this July.