OPEC: OPEC Secretary General meets Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari

The meeting took place in part to honour Barkindo’s two-term tenure as Secretary General of OPEC.

In attendance were HE Timipre Sylva, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Head of its Delegation to OPEC; Mele Kyari, Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the country’s National Representative to the Organization; and other senior officials of Nigeria’s petroleum industry.

During the meeting, President Buhari said: “Welcome back home!” adding, “We are proud of your distinguished achievements at OPEC. You were able to successfully navigate the Organization through turbulent challenges.”

Minister Sylva echoed the President’s remarks, thanking the Secretary General for his six years of leadership.

The Minister said: “Mr Barkindo has steered the heavily loaded Declaration of Cooperation (DoC) ship through … turbulent waters, against all formidable obstacles,” adding, “He spearheaded the historic ‘Algeria Accord’ in September 2016, which paved the way for the equally historic DoC between 23 oil-producing countries – a feat that had never been achieved in the oil industry.”

“Mr Barkindo is a strong believer in multilateralism and cooperation,” Minister Sylva highlighted.

In return, the Secretary General said: “I and my colleagues from the OPEC Secretariat are deeply honoured by your audience, Mr President, as well as of the honourable Minister Sylva and other senior officials of the Nigerian oil and gas industry.”

He also briefed the President on oil market developments and the vital role played by the Declaration of Cooperation in stabilizing the global oil market over the past six years.

Barkindo’s term as Secretary General ends on 31 July 2022. Also today, he delivered a keynote address at the Nigerian Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition in Abuja, which runs from 4-7 July 2022.

Nigeria joined OPEC in 1971. The country marked its 50th Anniversary in OPEC last year.