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Tag: Sahara Group

  • Sahara Group, South Africa to collaborate on energy

    Enhancing the capacity, accessibility, reliability and safety of energy in its various forms were the key issues, which dominated discussions between South Africa and Sahara Group at Davos, Switzerland.

    The meeting had South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, Minister of Energy, Jeff Radebe, Group Managing Director, Sahara Power Group, Kola Adesina and Director, Governance and Sustainability, Pearl Uzokwe in attendance.

    Both parties decried the insufficient harnessing of the continent’s energy sector potential, adding that achieving a robust energy sector remained the most critical component of the levers Africa requires to leapfrog into the Fourth Industrial Revolution.The South African Energy Minister said a collaborative approach involving all stakeholders on the continent should be adopted and driven by an empowered public private partnership. “The energy potential of Africa is immense and so much is being done to exploit this potential. However, what we  need is properly defined machinery that would address the issue from a micro and macro level across the continent through cooperation. South Africa will be willing to partner  Sahara Group and other  stakeholders to achieve this.”

    Adesina said Sahara Group had since been leading the cooperation conversation and believes that South Africa has a lot to offer the continent as a frontline economy that has continued to demonstrate strategic leadership in the energy sector.

    He explained that with an estimated 130 million African households still dependent on charcoal, kerosene, lantern, candles, fossil fuels, and over half a billion Africans without access to electricity, the continent would need to declare a state of emergency on the energy sector. “Energy is a critical component of driving economic growth and prosperity. Africa needs to have a common energy sector agenda that addresses the peculiarities of the various markets across the entire energy value chain. Sahara Group would be delighted to partner South Africa to drive this agenda, working alongside all stakeholders.”

  • NNPC, Sahara Group’s JV boost LPG supply

    The Joint Venture (JV) between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Sahara Group has delivered 437,170 metric tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to consumers in two years.

    The firms, in 2017, in Ulsan, South Korea, unveiled two new LPG vessels with a combined capacity of 38,000 cubic meters (cbm). The vessels – MT Africa Gas and MT Sahara Gas, have since delivered 437,170 metric tons of LPG, making households, communities and nations cleaner and safer; boosting economic growth and development across markets, Sahel Corporate Communications Manager of Sahara Group Limited, Mr. Bethel Obioma.

    Obioma said: “It had to be the product of collaboration – at its finest and most strategic level – a Joint Venture (JV) between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Sahara Group, a leading international energy and infrastructure conglomerate.

    “The Joint Venture operates as the West Africa Gas Limited (WAGL) and is run by two companies, NNPC Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NNPC and Sahara Energy’s Oil and Gas trading arm, Ocean Bed Trading Limited (BVI). The JV is addressing LPG related transportation bottlenecks, availability and quality concerns, deepening the LPG market in West Africa and other markets and above all, enhancing access to clean and safe energy.

    “Sahara Group is delighted to play a pivotal role in the JV as it continues to provide leadership across the entire global energy sector value chain, with a distinction for safety, excellence, good corporate governance and outstanding corporate citizenship.

    “The two vessels have performed several transatlantic voyages delivering 437,170MT of butane in mainly West Africa with spot calls in Europe and South America.”

    NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, at the inauguration of the vessels in South Korea, said their acquisition was an achievement for Nigeria considering that the JV was  recording successes within a short period having been established in 2013, adding that the continuing success of the operations of these vessels lends credence to the comments.

    Also during the maiden voyage of MT Sahara Gas to Nigeria, the  Asharami Synergy Plc (A Sahara Group Downstream Company) Chief Executive Officer, Moroti Adedoyin-Adeyinka, said: “What we see here today speaks to the power of collaboration and the great things that can be achieved when the private and public sector work together with the right strategy, expertise and capacity. At Sahara, this is the kind of collaboration that we push for; one that makes our economy better and saves our planet.”

  • Rivers 2019: Wike declares war against Tonye Cole’s firm

     

    • He’s playing vindictive politics – APC gov candidate

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has declared war against Sahara Group, the company co-founded by Rivers governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Pastor Tonye Cole.

    Wike, through Commissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah, on Friday in Port Harcourt, announced termination of the sale of the state-owned power plants to subsidiaries of Sahara Energy Limited.

    Cole, a billionaire businessman, who is a Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) declared Wike a frustrated governor playing vindictive politics.

    The Rivers APC governorship candidate, who spoke through the Director, Strategic Communications of his campaign organisation, Prince Tonye Princewill, said:  “This is the vindictive nature of the politics we play today and the reason why many who can salvage our analog politics stay away.

    “We have said it before that politics is too important to be left to politicians.

    “So, the Tonye Coles of this world should have no fear. The old way is going and the old style politicians know it. My surprise is it took this long.

    “I can only imagine Wike knows that Tonye Cole will be confirmed as his opponent, he can no longer hide his frustration. “What he fails to appreciate is that no serious businessman will want to do business with Rivers State.”

    Okah stated the decisions and actions were part of the resolutions at Friday’s State Executive Council meeting, presided over by Wike at the Government House, Port- Harcourt.

    He told reporters at the end of the meeting: “The Rivers State government has approved the termination of the share sale contract for the sale of 70 per cent equity of the state government-owned power generation assets held by First Independent Power Limited in Omoku, Afam, Trans-Amadi and Eleme Gas Turbines to NG Power-HPS Limited.

    “The Rivers State government also terminated the concession of the Rivers and Bayelsa States’ owned Olympia Hotel (in old Government Reservation Area, near Government House, Port Harcourt) to Cenpropsaroten Hotel Management Limited.

    “The Rivers State government further terminated the concession agreement between the Government of Rivers State and Kild Concession Limited, in respect of the construction of a toll road and secondary developments in Abonnema Wharf, Port Harcourt.

    “The three companies that had their contracts/concessions terminated are subsidiaries of Sahara Energy Limited, used by the immediate past Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, to acquire state assets.”

    Okah also stated that the Rivers government arrived at the resolutions, in line with the yet-to-be implemented recommendations of the white paper on the report of the judicial commission of inquiry on the investigation of the administration of Amaechi, now Transportation Minister, on the sale of valued assets of Rivers state and other related matters under the chairmanship of Justice George Omereji.

    Information commissioner added the government directed the Attorney-General to take further steps as contained in the white paper.

     

  • Sahara Group renovates Ghana school’s workshop

    Leading African energy conglomerate, Sahara Group has  refurbished the Metal Works Technical workshop of Manhean Senior High Technical School in Tema, Ghana.

    Founded in 1991, the school  trains students in science, technology and innovation.

    The company constructed a shed for the carpentry and welding  workshop. It also bought machines and accessories.

    These include hand powered angle grinder/cutting tool, welding machines, Sun-Flex grinding disc, lathe machines, mounted drilling/milling/grinding machines, welding accessories as well as several electrical and safety gadgets.

    The students who take courses technical drawing, wood work, building/construction and welding now have ample space and modern tools to aid their training.

    Sahara Group, Ghana Country Manager, Tosin Etomi, said: “Our objective was simple. We saw the need for technical education and training to produce graduates that can perform competently in their chosen vocations without a need for pre-employment training. We responded to that need. These bright boys and girls will, ultimately, form part of the talent pool that will drive ongoing transformation in Ghana towards ensuring sustained economic growth and development.”

    According to the Head Teacher of the 27-year-old institution, Mr. Emmanuel Kobina Beddu,: “This intervention led by Sahara Group has exceeded our expectations. Not only do we have a bigger, better space for learning, we now have the equipment we need to teach our students and arm them with adequate technical and transferable skills. We cannot hide our excitement and satisfaction with what the Sahara Group has done for our school.”

  • Sahara Group, Zuriel Oduwole collaborate to empower girl-child

    With statistics indicating that 15 million girls of primary school age – half of them in sub-Saharan Africa – will never enter a classroom, an energy conglomerate, Sahara Group, is providing empowerment platform that would give wings to the aspirations of the African girl child.

    Tagged: “Empowering the African Girl Child”, the project is being implemented under Sahara’s Grooming Film Extrapreneurs initiative, which seeks to promote economic empowerment through the arts.

    Sahara Foundation in collaboration with Zuriel Oduwole, young film maker and advocate for girl child education and gender equality will host a film making session for 90 African girls in Nigeria, Ghana and Cote d’ Ivoire between January 8 and17, 2018 to give the beneficiaries a head start in pursuing a career in the creative arts.

    According to Head, Corporate Communications, Sahara Group, Bethel Obioma, the project is expected to drive the advocacy message for girls’ rights, highlight key issues affecting girls across the three African countries and equip 90 girls with the foundational skills required to become film makers. “We plan to identify and empower girls, who have shown a talent for film making and/or production. Our hope is that the initiative would inspire and replicate Zuriel’s success among other girls of her age in Africa. Above all, Sahara Group is particularly passionate about the fact that the project would give traction to ongoing conversations and interventions geared towards the pursuit of Gender Equality and Quality Education, being Goals 4 and 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.

    Speaking on her partnership with Sahara, Oduwole said she was hopeful that the success of the project would encourage more corporations around the world to create partnerships with small groups to empower more girls across the globe.

    “I like the fact that Sahara Group sees some value in what I am doing with Girls’ Education across the world, and just like the African proverb, if you want to go fast, go alone, and if you want to go far, go together. I think I have gone very fast in the last five years, since I started my project at age 10. Sahara has shown that they are serious about Girls’ Education, so it’s easy for me to create a partnership, so we can do more together, for Girls’ Education in Africa, and also around the world,” said the teenage film maker, who at the age of 12 had her self- produced movie screened in a commercial cinema.

    Manager, Sahara Foundation, Oluseyi Ojurongbe, said the film making workshop would run for two days in each of the three countries. “The participants will be expected to execute a joint docu-film project featuring human angle stories of children across Africa, using their countries as case studies, to highlight challenges, opportunities and aspirations of the girl child in Nigeria, Ghana or Cote D’Ivoire.”

    Ojurongbe explained that 90 girls (30 from each country) between age 13 and 19 have been identified across the three African countries as beneficiaries based on their interests in film making. “The physical workshop training will be accompanied by several on-line and classroom based mentorship/follow-up sessions for six months to track and sustain the progress of the beneficiaries. At Sahara, we are hopeful that the platform would amplify the cause of empowering the girl child across the continent though the voices of the beneficiaries and millions of other girls that would be inspired to reach for their dreams,” he added.

  • Sahara Group, Zuriel train 90 girls in filmmaking

    Sahara Group, Zuriel train 90 girls in filmmaking

    The popular Grooming Film Entrepreneurs’ initiative of Sahara Group has found another ground to soar, by partnering Nigerian-American filmmaker, Zuriel Oduwole to train 90 young girls in the art of filmmaking.

    The project which seeks to promote economic empowerment through the arts has drawn the 90 beneficiaries from Nigeria, Ghana, and Cote d’ivoire.

    The Lagos edition kicked off on Monday at the Lagos State Skill Acquisition Center, Surulere, where the Principal of the school, Mrs. Yetunde Akin-Taylor expressed her excitement for the girls, who will be adding to the skills already acquired at the center, emphasising the need for the girl-child education.

    Tagged “Empowering the African Girl Child”, Sahara is set to rewrite researcher’s statistics, indicating that 15 million girls of primary school age – half of them in sub-Saharan Africa – will never enter a classroom, hence the collaboration with Oduwole, young film maker and advocate for girl child education and gender equality.

    The filmmaking session, running from January 8 – 17, 2018, is expected to give the beneficiaries a head start towards pursuing a career in the creative arts.

    Head, Corporate Communications for Sahara Group, Bethel Obioma says, the project is expected to drive the advocacy message for girls’ rights, highlight key issues affecting girls across the three African countries and equip 90 girls with the foundational skills required to become film makers. “Sahara Group is particularly passionate about the fact that the project would give traction to ongoing conversations and interventions geared towards the pursuit of Gender Equality and Quality Education, being Goals 4 and 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.

    Oduwole is hopeful that the success of the project would encourage more corporations around the world to create partnerships with small groups to empower more girls.

    “I like the fact that Sahara Group sees some value in what I am doing with Girls’ Education across the world, and just like the African proverb, if you want to go fast, go alone, and if you want to go far, go together. I think I have gone very fast in the last 5 years, since I started my project at age 10. Sahara has shown they are serious about Girls Education, so it’s easy for me to create a partnership, so we can do more together, for Girls Education in Africa, and also around the world,” said Oduwole who, at the age of 12 had her self- produced movie screened in a commercial cinema.

    Manager, Sahara Foundation, Oluseyi Ojurongbe said the filmmaking workshop would run for two days in each of the three countries, adding that “the participants will be expected to execute a joint docu-film project featuring human angle stories of children across Africa – using their countries as case studies – to highlight challenges, opportunities and aspirations of the girl child in Nigeria, Ghana or Cote D’Ivoire.”

     

  • Sahara Group hinges growth on synergy, diversification

    Sahara Group hinges growth on synergy, diversification

    Sahara Group has reinforced commitment to sustaining its growth and expansion across global markets through diversification, collaboration and innovation.

    The Nigerian energy conglomerate, which currently has operations in over 13 countries across four continents, stated this in its second Sustainability Report tagged: “Sustainability through Synergy.

    The Report which highlighted activities in 2016 within Sahara Group’s Power, upstream, downstream, midstream and infrastructure divisions was presented in accordance with the Sustainability Reporting Standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

    According to Executive Director and Co-founder Sahara Group, Tonye Cole, the report reaffirms the organisation’s commitment to transparency and business integrity. “We are delighted to be leading the charge for a paradigm shift that aligns business reporting in Africa with global best practice. Sahara continues to demonstrate how businesses can grow from humble beginnings to become conglomerates through diversification, collaboration, innovation and resilience. The Sahara story, since we commenced business in 2016 has been driven by creativity and an endless passion for daring the impossible.

    “The 2016 sustainability report covers critical aspects of our business and we believe such reports are required to safeguard the future of African businesses and enhance their competitiveness globally,” he added.

    Notable highlights in the report include key investments and innovation in the power sector, where Sahara Group has emerged as one of the largest privately owned power institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. The report also highlights the adoption of a Supply Chain Efficiency strategy that is expected to drive synergy, growth and sustainability of its businesses across the entire energy value chain.

    In addition to providing information on the various business divisions, the report also sheds light on Sahara Group’s core values, people, economic performance, stakeholder engagement, health and safety records as well as the activities of Sahara Foundation – the Group’s corporate responsibility vehicle.

    Sahara Foundation which hitherto had implemented several projects in Health, Education, Capacity Building, and the Environment, adopted the extrapreneurship platform in 2016 to enable it empower more beneficiaries through shared platforms.

    The report captures the admission of Sahara Group into the Vanguard Board of the World Economic Forum Partnering against Corruption Initiative (PACI). The Board is responsible for developing strategies for designing corruption out of countries and regions through various initiatives.

    Sahara Group is currently working on a new initiative with the PACI community towards helping to Rebuild Trust and Integrity in Businesses with a major focus on Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

    In line with its membership of the Private Sector Advisory Group of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Fund (SDGF), Sahara has been working with various partners to promote the implementation of the 17 SDGs of the United Nations.

    Sahara Group is partnering with the SDGF, The Kaduna State Government and other agencies of the United Nations, on project “Food Africa” which seeks to empower young farmers, eradicate poverty, provide employment, reduce wastage and improve sustainable food production in Nigeria. The plan is to replicate the project across the continent.

  • Sahara Group inaugurates 36m litres fuel storage facility

    Sahara Group inaugurates 36m litres fuel storage facility

    STRATEGIC hub for facilitating the distribution of petroleum products within Tanzania and other East African nations has emerged with the commissioning of a terminal that has a 36 million litres storage facility by Sahara Group in Dar Es Salaam.

    Operated by Sahara Tanzania Limited, an affiliate of leading African energy conglomerate Sahara Group, the terminal is located in Vijibweni, Industrial area Kigamboni in Dar Es Salaam. It has a storage capacity of 18 million litres for Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and 18 million litres for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). The company also has six loading arms for PMS and six loading arms for AGO, which gives it capacity to load up to 120 trucks per day.

    Speaking at the official commissioning of the facility in Dar Es Salaam, Supply Manager, Petroleum Bulk Purchasing Agency (PBPA), Raymond Lusekelo, said the entry of Sahara Tanzania Limited into the oil and gas sector in Tanzania was remarkable.

    He said it came at a period where the administration of President John Magufuli was spearheading an unprecedented drive to bring about significant investment in the sector.

    “I salute and congratulate the Board and Management of Sahara Tanzania Limited on the commissioning of its terminal, which we are gathered to celebrate today. This is a strategic investment that signposts the commitment of the company to enhancing the profile of the sector through continuing investments across the entire energy value chain,” he said.

    According to Taofik Lawal, Terminal Manager, Sahara Tanzania Limited, the company commenced operations in March 2016, with a “dynamic blend of young talent and state of the art technology that is redefining the oil and gas sector in Tanzania”.

    “We bring smart solutions to energy needs by deploying the best possible technology as well as distribution and storage facilities that are world class. Our operations are guided by best international practice and we are passionate about total quality management and excellent service delivery,” he added.

    He stated that the resilience and perseverance of the company’s workforce had made it a market leader in the importation, sale and distribution of petroleum products in Tanzania, with further prospects of being the preferred provider across the sub-region.

    Lawal said the formal launch of Sahara Foundation in Tanzania was an indication of the company’s commitment to promoting sustainable development in the nation.

    Sahara Foundation projects in Tanzania include: School Sanitation Wash & Hygiene (SWASH) Project- Improving hygiene at Salma Kikwete Secondary School, where more than 1264 students now have access to modern and hygienic toilet facilities.

    The foundation also upgraded the Library at Pugu Secondary School, transforming learning experience for over 900 students and 70 teachers.

    Lawal added: “The energy sector in Tanzania has the potential to be the best in East Africa. Key investments like the one we are witnessing today are required in infrastructure and technology to enhance value and drive excellence. We believe the nation under the leadership and guidance of the current administration has what it takes to assume this leadership position in East Africa. We are here to ensure that thus happens and will be available to contribute our quota to the growth and development of Tanzania.”

     

     

     

  • Expert tasks businesses to leverage on technology

    Expert tasks businesses to leverage on technology

    Mr Tonye Cole, Executive Director, Sahara Group, has tasked entrepreneurs on the need to exploit technology for information gathering toward enhancing business opportunities and economic growth.

    Cole gave the advise at the Entrepreneurs Connect Forum themed: “The role of credit and technology in building a sustainable business” on Saturday in Lagos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Entrepreneurs Connect is one of the initiatives of The Young CEO that seeks to connect startups with business leaders from various sectors.

    The platform provides startups access to mentorship, grants and networking opportunities to help them scale up their businesses and command authority in their respective sectors.

    Cole noted that many entrepreneurs were not leveraging the internet to research diverse information that could catalyse and expose their businesses to global trends that would spur growth.

    “Startup businesses collapse because people have not done enough research into why they are going into business; they go into business because they see someone else doing it.

    “Every business school would tell you that most businesses fail in their first year, so to reduce the rate of this failure, you must spend time in conducting research so that you can avoid pitfalls that others went through,” he said.

    According to him, lots of financing opportunities are available to be explored by startups, adding that money is chasing entrepreneurs with innovative ideas.

    He commended the Federal Government on the country’s improvement on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business ranking, adding that sustainability of the improved index should be enhanced.

    “The government can set a target and continue to build upon it, the ultimate is doing business registration and operating your business without seeing any government official.

    “The government should continue working that way because you do not need any government official to access money, pay taxes, access information and I believe that we will surely get there. It is a work in progress,” Cole said.

    He stressed that everyone and not just government has a role to play in contributing to easing the business environment in view of the immense benefits.

    Mr Michael Akintan, risk analyst, Bank of Industry (BoI), urged the entrepreneurs to keep proper business records and to explore the various financing products of the bank to upscale their businesses.

    Mr Aigbe Omoregie, Convener of The Young CEO, said that the initiative had been at the forefront of youth empowerment through its programmes and events.

    “Nigeria, in comparison with other West African countries, is by far a bigger economy with a teeming population of over 210 million, with the young unemployed people constituting a whooping 65 per cent of the number.

    “A large percentage of these young people are willing to work and create new business opportunities in their local communities but lack access to funding and mentorship from renowned business leaders,” he said.

    Omoregie noted that the platform seeks to bridge the gap of financing, mentorship and capacity building of youths between 15 to 30 years toward boosting entrepreneurship, job and wealth creation in the country.

    NAN reports that two beneficiaries in the fashion and agro-allied industry were awarded N100, 000 grant each to scale up their businesses.

  • Sahara Group sponsors young artistes to London Film Academy

    Winners of ‘Grooming Film Extrapreneurs’, a project of Sahara Group, are about to enrich their skills at the London Film Academy.

    The winner, Joseph Duke and First Runner-up, Chinenye Balogun who emerged from over 200 entries, will undergo training in Editing and Cinematography, courtesy of the leading African energy and infrastructure conglomerate.

    Unveiled in 2016, the competition flagged off Sahara’s unfolding corporate citizenship model tagged: extrapreneurship. The model seeks to create a platform that finds, creates and connects young people with business interests in emerging markets.

    The competition involved the submission of 15-minute documentaries on the activities of Nigerian entrepreneurs by young filmmaker.

    Joseph Duke, the overall winner of the project recently completed a six-month internship programme with ace filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan, being the star prize of the project.

    “It still feels like a dream each time I think about how Sahara Group’s support has enhanced my career. I spent six dream months with Kunle Afolayan during which I learnt a lot and interacted with some of the best minds in the industry. Now, going to the London Film Academy is another experience I am looking forward to. In fact, Sahara Group has changed my life and given wings to my aspiration,” he said.

    Duke said he was already working on some projects that he hopes would announce his entry into the film industry “in a big way”.

    According to Bethel Obioma, spokesperson for Sahara Group, the energy giant was delighted to be “co-creating a future of excellence in the film industry with budding talents through its projects and interventions,” adding that Sahara draws inspiration from giving individuals wings to achieve their dreams and aspirations.

    “We are passionate giving all we can and working with like-minded stakeholders to promote sustainable development across the globe,” he said.

    For Chinenye Balogun, the London Film Academy experience would further hone her skills in pursuit of her dream of ultimately becoming a successful film maker.

    She said: “I am inspired by what Sahara Group is doing in terms of helping people’s dreams come true and look forward to using my career and achievements to support young filmmakers.”

    Sahara is currently concluding plans for the next edition of the grooming film extrapreneurs project with an extended mandate of giving opportunities to young filmmakers in Africa to showcase their works.