Sahara Group extends footprint in Africa
AFRICA’S leading energy and infrastructure conglomerate, Sahara Group, has reinforced its commitment to sustaining its growth and expansion across global markets through diversification, collaboration and innovation.
The energy giant, which has spread its tentacles to Zambia which is among over 13 countries across four continents, made this assertion in its second sustainability report tagged “sustainability through synergy”.
The report, which highlights 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 reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to transparency and business integrity.
Mr. Cole said the 2016 sustainability report covered critical aspects of the group’s business and that it believed such reports were required to safeguard the future of African businesses and enhance their competitiveness globally.
“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,” Mr. Cole said.
Meanwhile, head of corporate communications, Bethel Obioma, said notable highlights in the report included key investments and innovation in the power sector, where Sahara Group emerged emerged as one of the largest privately owned power institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Mr. Obioma said the report also highlighted the adoption of a supply chain efficiency strategy that was 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 extra-preneurship platform in 2016 to enable it empower more beneficiaries through shared platforms,” Mr. Obioma said.
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.