Mohammad Barkindo. AFP

Abuja, July 6 (RHC)-- The Secretary General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Mohammad Barkindo, died Tuesday at the age of 63, the director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, communicated through his Twitter account.

"We have lost our esteemed Dr. Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo. He died at about 11 pm last night, July 5, 2022.  No doubt a great loss to his family, NNPC, our country Nigeria, OPEC and the global energy community," Kyari tweeted.

His death came just hours after he met with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who applauded his performance at OPEC and called him "a worthy ambassador" for the African country.

Barkindo was first appointed to the post of OPEC secretary general on August 1, 2016, and his second three-year term would have ended on July 31st.