Sahara Appoints Chidilim Menakaya as Managing Director

Sahara has appointed Chidilim Menakaya as its new Managing Director, as the company looks to advance its Beyond XXX vision and strengthen its focus on growth, innovation, and long-term impact.

Chidilim brings more than 20 years of experience in transformation and strategy, with a career spanning Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Her expertise covers business transformation, strategic leadership, and organizational growth.

Before taking on the Managing Director role, Chidilim served as Director of the Sahara Foundation, where she oversaw the company’s sustainability and social impact initiatives.

During her tenure, she helped expand Sahara’s EXTRApreneurship model, build strategic partnerships, and increase the Foundation’s socio-economic impact across communities in the company’s areas of operation.

Key Highlights:

• Sahara appoints Chidilim Menakaya as Managing Director to lead its Beyond XXX vision and next phase of growth
• Menakaya brings more than 20 years of transformation and strategy experience across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East
• She will drive innovation, sustainability, stakeholder value, and Sahara’s global growth strategy

Known for her collaborative leadership, strategic thinking and proven track record of creating high-performing teams, Chidilim has always been a leader who has always been focused on people development, innovation and results.

Commenting on the appointment, Ade Odunsi, Executive Director, Sahara, said the decision reflects Sahara’s confidence in purposeful leadership and its commitment to building the future from within.

“For over three decades now we have remained committed to our vision of bringing energy to life responsibly. Beyond XXX represents our commitment to shaping the future through bold thinking, innovation, sustainability, and shared value creation. Chidilim’s appointment reflects these aspirations. We are confident that under her leadership, Sahara will continue to expand the frontiers of impact and create sustainable value for stakeholders across our markets.”

The appointment is a testament to Sahara's commitment to establishing a strong, forward-looking business that can adapt to a rapidly evolving international landscape, Ade said.

In his role as Managing Director, Chidilim will offer strategic direction for the implementation of Sahara's Beyond XXX agenda, stakeholder value and positioning Sahara for future growth and global relevance.

Chidilim has executive and professional qualifications from global institutions like London Business School, INSEAD and Manchester Business School. She is also a certified Human Resources Business Partner, Transformation and Reputation Manager and a Prosci certified Change Management Practitioner.

Chidilim is a seasoned expert in transformation, sustainability and strategic leadership, and is expected to be a strong contributor to strengthen Sahara's business operations and further its long-term priorities in its markets.

The appointment also reflects Sahara's commitment to nurture and promote leadership development within the organization and foster an environment that promotes innovation, collaboration and sustainable business growth.

With Sahara's Beyond XXX agenda in motion, Chidilim's leadership is likely to play a key role in helping the company contribute to long-term value creation for all stakeholders and its future trajectory in the dynamic global energy market.

The new leadership will further reinforce Sahara's commitment to responsible growth, and will help build opportunities for innovation, talent development and greater impact within the communities and markets that Sahara serves.