Economic Confidential, February, 2009

PROFILE

Sanusi Barkindo: The New Helmsman Man At NNPC

By Labaran Saleh

His appointment could not have come as a surprise to many players in the oil sector, considering his enviable progression in that sector. The newly appointed Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo’s career in NNPC spanned more than 23 years. Before his new appointment, which took effect from Monday 12 January, 2009, he was the Coordinator Special Duties of the corporation where he presided over major projects of the Corporation.

Mr. Barkindo succeeds Engr. Abubakar Lawal Yar’Adua who was appointed Acting GMD of NNPC on August 14, 2007.

Born on April 20, 1959 in Yola, Adamawa State, Mr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo obtained a B. Sc degree in Political Science in 1981 from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, a post Graduate Diploma in Petroleum Economics in 1988 from College of Petroleum Studies, Oxford University, UK and Masters Degree in Business Administration from the South Eastern University, Washington DC.

The new Group Managing Director had held key positions in the oil sector. He was immediate past Acting Secretary General of OPEC where he served with distinction and international acclaim. Other position he held were: Deputy Managing Director/Chief Executive Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas:          Managing Director/Chief Executive, HYSON/CALSON, an international trading arm of NNPC: General Manager, NNPC London Office; Head, International Trade, NNPC London Office; Special Assistant to the Hon. Minister of Petroleum and Energy and Board member of several NNPC investment companies such as Banks, Oil Service Companies, International Trading Companies among others.

Mr. Barkindo served for a record 15 years on the OPEC Economic Commission Board as Nigeria’s National Representative.  He was Acting Secretary General in 2006. Apart from chairing the OPEC Economic Commission Board, he also chaired the Strategic Production Quota Committee of OPEC.

Mr. Barkindo is an advocate of Climate Change Initiative and has led Nigeria’s technical delegation to the climate change negotiations that produced the United Nations framework convention on climate change UNFCCC  and the Kyoto protocol to the UNFCCC during which he served on the Bureau of the UNFCC at various times.

Mr. Barkindo also served as the chairman of the OPEC Task Force on UNCSD 15 United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, 15th Session.

Elected Vice-President of the Conference of the Parties (COP 13) at the climate change talks in Bali-Indonesia, December 2007 and re-elected at COP14 in Poznan, Poland, December 2008.

Prior to his elevation to the Office of Coordinator, Mr. Barkindo was the most senior Group General Manager in the NNPC, a position he held for 10 years.

The new NNPC GMD’s whose hobbies include Reading and Soccer, is married with children and holds the traditional title of Wazirin Musawa in Katsina.

The Presidential Approval of the appointment of Barkindo as the new Group Managing Director of NNPC conveyed the by Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Rilwanu Lukman also included that of Professor Yinka Omoregbe, formerly Dean Faculty of Law of the University of Ibadan as Company Secretary/Legal Adviser of NNPC.