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Sahara Group, a leading energy and infrastructure conglomerate, has emphasised that deliberate and innovative human capital strategies are pivotal to positioning Africa’s energy sector for sustainable growth and competitiveness amid evolving global energy security challenges and emerging opportunities.
Speaking at the 2025 Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) Annual International Conference & Exhibition, Emilomo Arorote, Group Head, Human Resources, at Sahara Group noted that energy professionals’ curiosity, competence, and courage to act, remain the most powerful lever for transformation in a transitioning world.
Held under the theme “Revitalising the Nigerian Petroleum Exploration and Production Strategies for Energy Security and Sustainable Development,” this year’s NAPE Conference convened industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators to explore pathways toward achieving long-term energy security across Africa.
Highlighting the indispensable role of human ingenuity in shaping the industry’s future, she said, “Innovation in our industry has never been about systems alone, it always begins with people.” She said Sahara remained committed to driving transformative human capital development as a cornerstone for Africa’s energy sustainability.
“At Sahara, we have seen how curiosity transforms into capability when young professionals start asking the right questions. A remarkbale portion of our breakthroughs, including the landmark OKOS-04L well intervention in OML-148, were driven by young teams who dared to challenge convention and applied fresh thinking to complex problems.”
Arorote said the next frontier of the industry would depend not only on technology but also on the mindset of the people driving it.
“As we navigate the energy transition from gas-to-power integration to automation and data-driven operations, the future will belong to those who combine curiosity with patience and precision. The young professionals who will redefine Africa’s energy story are those who are willing to learn deeply, think differently, and act decisively,” she said.
Arorote said Africa’s energy sector needs to build sustainable systems to support mentorship and knowledge transfer to younger professionals to achieve robustnand globally competitive energy operations and impact. “Mentorship is a two-way bridge that allows both emerging and seasoned professionals to learn, adapt, and grow together, blending the wisdom of experience with the ingenuity of youth.”
According to Sahara Group, it’s participation at NAPE 2025 reinforces its long-standing commitment to investing in human capital, advancing digitalisation, and leveraging gas as a transition fuel for Africa’s sustainable growth.
Across its upstream, midstream, and downstream operations in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, Sahara Group says it continues to drive operational excellence and innovation while empowering young professionals to reimagine what’s possible in Africa’s energy landscape.
