It’s interesting how words that were hitherto considered as having negative connotations now engender widespread admiration. So, you’re clad in an outstanding outfit and you get compliments like, “dirty”, “wicked” and “insane”. It gets more interesting. When you work in an organisation that’s everyone’s dream, you’re on the “MAD” team. Madness as a compliment? Well, why not, if being MAD means you are “making a difference.
25 years ago today, a MAD phenomenon kicked off in Lagos, Nigeria, propelled by a one-of-a-kind company. The company’s ethos was MAD and the people who embodied the phenomenon were MADDER. Their attention to detail was MAD as was their stakeholder management expertise. They would go the extra mile to create and extract value from seemingly impossible situations.
In spite of being fledgling businessmen who were completely green in the sector, their vision was MAD. They sought the tall order of “bringing energy to life” and “to be the provider of choice wherever energy is consumed.” Many scoffed at their MADNESS, declaring them upstarts who’d soon fizzle out. They never imagined the word disruption had any place in their close-knit sector.
But a few would be inspired, birthing a handful of other MAD companies, enhancing the emergence of “indigenous players” in the once exclusive oil and gas sector.
Many more MAD people would join the company as it traded its way into prominence through sheer grit and brilliance. They quickly became a company that was looked upon with respect; making believers of those who thought they’d run out of gas. How wrong they had been. It was not about the allure of oil money for this MAD company. They had their sights on becoming a business that would go beyond Africa. – bringing energy to life responsibly.
It was no surprise when just after two years of operating in oil and gas trading in Nigeria, the MAD company moved its trading hub to Geneva, Switzerland in 1998 – unleashing its global credentials.
Similar expansion would be the trend as the company extended its footprint across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, ultimately ramping up employee numbers to almost 5,000, comprising exceptional professionals from over 50 nationalities. It would become an energy conglomerate with operations in the Upstream, midstream, downstream, power and infrastructure sectors. How this MADNESS made the fledgling company emerge as the largest private power business in sub-Saharan Africa is a phenomenon that’s the subject-matter of many case studies.
It’s interesting to note that the achievements above are dwarfed by the company’s commitment to bringing benevolence to life. Its Foundation has achieved the feat of empowering more than 2,000,000 beneficiaries through sustainable development projects across Africa. In 2020, the company set up an Impact Fund with access to over $100,000 in grants and funding for entrepreneurs and social innovators in Africa. The involvement of the company’s employees as volunteers in the Foundation’s quest of giving wings to aspirations is remarkable. They do this with so much commitment and gusto.
When Covid-19 disrupted the world, the MAD company responded with its “Saving a million lives” campaign. It spearheaded and supported major Covid-19 interventions in Africa including delivery of the 300-bed Thisday Dome Isolation and Treatment Centre alongside other stakeholders, donation of medical equipment as well as the provision of food and relief materials to tens of thousands of beneficiaries, sanitizers, oxygen to support ICU operations, personal protective equipment and translation of Covid-19 awareness literature to local African languages.
The company would earn the privilege of becoming an important partner in the pursuit of the sustainable development goals, working closely with the United Nations as well as other regional and global partners. It would also join the league of businesses championing the cause of integrity in business under the aegis of the World Economic Forum’s Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI). Promoting good corporate governance and citizenship, reinforcing the role of business as a force of doing good – responsibly, transparently and sustainably.
It gets even better. The MAD company is bullishly lending its weight to conversations on energy transition in Africa, leveraging its businesses to promote more responsible mining of hydrocarbons and massive optimisation of gas to boost access to cleaner fuels and power.
You would most certainly take an emission-free ride on the company’s electric buggies and scooters when you visit Egbin Power – its sprawling power generation asset that is the largest privately-run thermal plant in sub-Saharan Africa. Talk about promoting decarbonisation, healthy living and environmental sustainability.
The company couldn’t be prouder of its African heritage and how its successes are shaping the narrative of enhanced capacity and tailored global energy solutions from Africa to the world.
But do you know the MADDEST aspect of the company? Its uniquely diverse employees who flourish in a workplace culture that encourages being MAD. You don’t get a job at Sahara Group, you are immersed into a family where agile, nimble and adaptive learning makes you better.
At Sahara, your job is not done until the job is done. The business encourages you to excel within and outside the workplace. This is driven by the work hard-play harder culture that finds expression in Saharians as exceptional poets, singers, writers, fashion designers, footballers, chess grandmasters, sports enthusiasts, chefs, social media influencers, thought leaders and much more. Ambidexterity at its best!
Being MAD is desirable and inspiring when you work in Sahara Group. Since 1996, Sahara Group has continued to redefine excellence in the energy sector in a transformative way. These past 25 years have been phenomenal. The next 25 years and beyond would certainly be…yes, MAD…you guessed right.
You’re thinking of joining the MAD team right? Your journey to being MAD starts at Sahara Group.
Rami is of the Corporate Communications department of Sahara Group
