Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Secretary-General Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo passed away on Tuesday at the age of 63, the Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari, said Wednesday.

Barkindo's death was announced in the early hours of Wednesday via a Tweet on Kyari's official account. He said Barkindo's passing was a great loss to his immediate family, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, OPEC, and the global energy community.

We lost our esteemed Dr Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo. 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.

— Mele Kyari (@MKKyari) July 6, 2022

Barkindo was a Nigerian politician and had been the Secretary General of OPEC for six years at the time of his passing. His tenure was praised by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari who described him as a "worthy ambassador of Nigeria."

The cause of Barkindo's death was not announced in the Tweet publicizing his death, but it is expected to be announced soon.