Rilwanu Lukman (26 August 1938 – 21 July 2014) was a Nigerian engineer who held several ministerial positions in the Nigerian Federal government before becoming Secretary General of OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 2000. He died on 21 July 2014. On 18 December 2008, Lukman was appointed Minister of Petroleum Resources by Nigerian president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, holding office until March 2010.
Birth, education and early career
Lukman was born in Zaria, Kaduna State. He trained as a mining engineer at the College of Arts, Science, and Technology, Zaria (now Ahmadu Bello University), and then at Imperial College, London.
He earned a higher degree in mining engineering from the University of Mining and Metallurgy in Leoben, Austria (1967–1968).
He obtained a degree in mineral economics from McGill University, Montreal in 1978, and an honorary doctorate degree in chemical engineering from the University of Bologna in Italy.
His first job in the mining industry was as an assistant mining engineer with A B Statsgruvor of Sweden (1962–1964).
After returning to Nigeria, Lukman was appointed an inspector of mines, later senior inspector and then acting assistant chief inspector in the Federal Ministry of Mines & Power in Jos, Plateau State (1964–1970). He then became general manager of the Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (1970–1974).
By 1979 Lukman had become general manager and chief executive officer of the Nigerian Mining Corporation, Jos.
Senior government and OPEC positions
Lukman was appointed Minister of Mines, Power and Steel from 1984 to 1985 in the government of General Muhammadu Buhari.
In 1986 he was appointed Federal Minister of Petroleum Resources, holding that position until February 1990.
In that role, he was also chairman of the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
He was briefly minister of foreign affairs between January and September 1990.
He was chairman of the board of directors of the National Electric Power Authority (1993–1994).
From 1986 he served eight consecutive terms as OPEC president.
Lukman was elected OPEC secretary general on 22 November 1994, succeeding Dr. Subroto of Indonesia, whose three-year term ended on 30 June 1994. Lukman was a compromise choice between two competing candidates, Hossein Kazempour Ardebili of Iran and Alirio Parra of Venezuela. He was re-elected to a second term in 1997, holding office until the end of 2000.
He was a central figure in the agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to control oil prices early in 1999, followed by agreements to reduce production levels, which led to a surge in prices towards the end of the 1990s.
When Olusegun Obasanjo came into office at the start of the Nigerian Fourth Republic, the president retained direct control of the Oil Ministry.