Chidilim Menakaya to Lead Sahara Beyond XXX Vision as Managing Director

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Seasoned transformation and strategy executive, Ms Chidilim Menakaya, has been appointed as the Managing Director of Sahara.

She was chosen to lead the company’s Beyond XXX vision and drive the next phase of growth, innovation, and impact.

As Managing Director, Ms Menakaya will provide strategic leadership for steering Sahara’s Beyond XXX agenda, enhancing stakeholder value, and positioning Sahara for continued growth and global relevance.

She is expected to achieve this goal through her decades of leadership experience spanning Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Before this appointment, Ms Menakaya served as Director of the Sahara Foundation, where she led the company’s sustainability and social impact agenda.

Under her leadership, the organisation expanded the reach of Sahara’s EXTRApreneurship model, strengthened strategic partnerships, and deepened socio-economic impact across communities in the company’s locations.

Widely respected for her collaborative leadership style, strategic insight, and ability to build high-performing teams, Ms Menakaya has consistently demonstrated a commitment to developing people, driving innovation, and delivering measurable outcomes.

Commenting on the appointment, an Executive Director at Sahara, Ade Odunsi, said the decision reflects the company’s confidence in purposeful leadership and its commitment to building the future from within, noting it signals Sahara’s determination to build a resilient, future-focused enterprise capable of thriving in an increasingly dynamic global environment.

“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,” Odunsi stated.