A former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mohammed Barkindo, has emerged as the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Two OPEC delegates said Nigerian candidate Barkindo was chosen to be OPEC’s new Secretary-General yesterday in Vienna at the group’s 169th conference.
Barkindo, who was recently nominated by the Federal Government for the position, led the NNPC from 2009 to 2010 and served as acting Secretary-General of OPEC in 2006, as well as representing Nigeria at the group.
OPEC has been looking for a replacement for Libya’s Abdalla El-Badri, who was elected acting Secretary-General in December until the end of July after serving full terms.
The 13-member oil cartel has tried unsuccessfully for more than three years to find a replacement for the current Secretary-General, who was due to stand down in 2012 after serving two terms in the role.
At OPEC’s last meeting in December, El-Badri’s term was extended until July.
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