As Secretary-General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, (OPEC), Dr. Muhammad Suleiman Barkindo must be one of the very few in the world with the most information about oil energy, its production, consumption and politics. This is more so that before his OPEC job, he was Chief Executive of Nigeria national oil company – the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, (NNPC). As information is power, he must also be counted as a powerful player, not only in international oil politics but international politics too.
What might have killed him at just 63 remains unclear but Nigeria is losing the benefits of his location in the international oil set up. For a long time, he would be remembered as a face of international oil technocratic club.
Many would consider it symbolic that his death came a few hours after visiting the Presidential Villa and receiving a recognition as “a worthy ambassador” of Nigeria while at OPEC.
