General
Sahara Group Reaffirms Commitment to Youth Empowerment
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
There’s just something about the word space. Everyone craves it. Young people guard and sometimes, deify it. Individuals, businesses, and nations would give anything to safeguard it. And when you add the word safe before it, a whole new meaning is formed. Perhaps one of the greatest challenges of today’s world is ensuring safe spaces. This is the focus of the 2018 International Youth Day Celebration.
Increasingly, we are witnessing young people engage more actively in issues that affect their future and wellbeing. For example, around the world, the #NotTooYoungToRun movement has gained momentum and even in countries where the voices of young people were hardly ever heard or given any importance, we are witnessing a new wave of recognition for the role of young people. In Nigeria, a bill reducing the age for holding or contesting for political office was recently passed. Now, young people can be voted into critical offices in the country which was hitherto impossible due to constitutional constraints. Today, there is a wave of young people contesting for various key offices ahead of the forthcoming elections in 2019.
While this is a big win for young people all around the world, such a win was only made possible because an enabling environment to have such conversations freely was created. These conversations are propelled by sundry sustainable development interventions and the social media. Youths now have a voice of their own, leading to an unprecedented wave of young leaders since the dawn of the 21st century.
Energy Giant, Sahara Group reiterates the need for the global collaboration towards providing opportunities and safe spaces for young people to pursue their aspirations. “As a leading international energy and infrastructure conglomerate, we are passionate about promoting youth empowerment, especially at our locations in over 38 countries across Africa, Middle East, Europe and Asia. We call it giving wings to aspirations,” says Bethel Obioma, the company’s head of corporate communications.
The Sahara workforce comprises 65 percent youth population, a unique collection of vibrant young men and women of who add incalculable value to the energy giant’s continuing growth. These young experts churn out innovative ideas from the sanctuary of the safe spaces that the organization provides – a work environment that celebrates diversity with zero tolerance for all manner of discrimination.
Recently, Sahara signed on Zuriel Oduwole, a 16-year-old girl education advocate as its ambassador. Working with Zuriel as Sahara’s Girl Child Education Ambassador, the partnership is expected to amplify the message of gender equality and access to quality education to world leaders as well as other stakeholders.
Apparently excited about the project, Oluseyi Ojurongbe, Manager Sahara Foundation says, “It is a good day for African girls where most of the projects will be executed and even a better day for girls all around the world. After all, one empowered girl is a huge leap towards the emergence of a better world.”
Of key significance, in terms of our contribution to the empowerment of young people and the creation of safe spaces for them, is our virtual extrapreneurship hub. This platform goes beyond providing a safe space for young people to interact and develop by also providing and connecting them to opportunities that help them grow, create impact, and reach their aspirations.
Offline, Sahara collaborates with various stakeholders to provide safe spaces to nurture the dreams of young people. A case in point is the renovation and state of the art upgrade of the industrial kitchen at the Lagos State Vocational Centre in Surulere where over six hundred young people in the Surulere community annually acquire food-making skills in an atmosphere that promotes learning and engenders creativity. This results in improved income generating capacity for the beneficiaries in line with goal 8 of the SDGs – Decent Work and Economic Growth.
Similar interventions have been implemented in countries across Africa including Zambia, Tanzania, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.
In partnership with Enactus Nigeria, Sahara encourages innovations among undergraduates who design brilliant and transformative sustainable solutions to address the Sustainable Development Goals. Sahara Foundation has supported the Enactus Nigeria National Competition where these innovations from students of different institutions around the Nigeria and showcase. Recently, the partnership was reloaded to support some of the innovators to create marketable and scalable products out of their solutions.
In 2016, Sahara launched the Grooming Film Extrapreneurs initiative aimed at promoting a hub of enterprise that connects budding filmmakers with stakeholders that can help hone their skills to enhance productivity, excellence, and sustainability. In its first year, three finalists were granted an internship with Kunle Afolayan, one of Africa’s ace movie directors as well as sponsored for furthering skills development at the London Film School.
The second edition of the initiative had over one hundred girls (15 to 20 years old) from three West African Countries – Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria – acquire basic film-making and editing training from one of the world’s youngest film-makers, Zuriel Oduwole. These interventions not only empower the beneficiaries for self-reliance and improved economic capacity, it also helps girls/women who are the major beneficiaries attain an increased sense of self-worth, self-belief, and confidence to take on big goals.
Sahara’s commitment to the development of young people has led to interventions in line with goal four of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – Quality Education. From the rehabilitation of seven classrooms and an upgrade of the Technical Workshop at the Manhean Senior Secondary School in Ghana to the upgrade of the library at Pugu Secondary School in Tanzania, Sahara Group remains committed to the improvement of education for young people across Africa. In addition, in the past four years, over 100 full scholarships covering tuition, uniforms, books, and feeding during schooling hours have been given to secondary school students in Nigeria who would otherwise have been unable to get an education.
David Ekugum one of Sahara Foundation’s young program officers explains that Sahara’s interventions have also enhanced access to water and sanitary facilities in schools and communities, resulting in the wellbeing of students. Over the years, Sahara Foundation has implemented numerous Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programmes in schools and communities across Africa. This includes over fifty borehole projects in Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, and Nigeria; toilet constructions in schools where they were either dilapidated or none existent including schools in Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania. These interventions have resulted in improved school attendance but particularly improved safety for the students who prior to such interventions had to use bushes as their toilet. ” In our experience, girls have been the biggest beneficiaries of our SWASH (School Water Sanitation and Hygiene) Projects as open/bush defecation/urination put them at more risk than boys. The toilets constructed provide safe spaces of hygiene for these students,” says David who is passionate about the SDG for all mantra.
As the world celebrates the International Youth Day 2018, Sahara Group reaffirms its commitment to giving wings to young people’s aspirations by creating an enabling environment and safe spaces for them to express their talent and enterprise.
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has mandated the country’s service chiefs and the Inspector General of Police (IGP, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, to go after those behind the dastardly killings in Benue State, which have left over 200 people dead.
President Tinubu issued the order on Wednesday during his visit to Benue State following the renewed attacks in the North-Central State.
“Police, I hope your men are on alert to listen to information. How come no arrest has been made? I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals,” Mr Tinubu said at the Benue Government House in Makurdi, the capital, during a stakeholders meeting, monitored by Business Post.
“Christopher (the Chief of Defence Staff), you have given much. I watch your comments, you can’t be tired of staying in the bush. Oloyede (the Chief of Army Staff) and the Air Marshal, we thank all of you, but we need to keep our ears to the ground, let’s get those criminals, let’s get them out. DG NIA, DG SSS, retool your information channels and let’s have tangible intelligence so that this will not occur again,” he said.
During his speech, the Tor Tiv V, Mr James Ayatse, dismissed claims that the killings in Benue State are the results of clashes between herders and farmers, arguing that the killings are a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign in the state by “herder terrorists and bandits” that had been on for decades.
He said, “We do have grave concerns about the misinformation and misrepresentation of the security crisis in Benue State. Your Excellency, it’s not headers-farmers clashes, it’s not communal clashes, it’s not reprisal attacks or skirmishes.
“It is this misinformation that has led to suggestions such as ‘remain tolerant, negotiate for peace, learn to live with your neighbours’.”
“What we are dealing with here in Benue is a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land grabbing campaign by header terrorists and bandits, which has been going on for decades and is worsening every year.
“Wrong diagnosis will always lead to wrong treatment. So, we are dealing with something far more sinister than we think about. It’s not learning to live with your neighbors; it is dealing with the war,” the traditional ruler added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr Jonny Baxter, has reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s commitment to supporting inclusive economic growth and sustainable development across Nigeria as the country navigates rising energy costs and the growing urgency of the climate crisis.
He made this statement at the second edition of W.O.M.A.N by Alitheia, a high-level forum for Women in Manufacturing, Agribusiness, and Nutrition and key stakeholders, hosted by Alitheia Capital, a pioneer in gender-lens impact investing private equity firm, in collaboration with Manufacturing Africa, a UK government programme focused on attracting Foreign Direct Investment into the manufacturing sector, at his residence in Lagos.
“We recognise the indispensable role of women in this transition and are committed to expanding access to capital and capability to ensure sustainable growth. This event reflects our shared vision for inclusive and transformative development, and we are committed to supporting this journey through targeted investments and strategic private partnerships,” he said.
The event themed Scaling Sustainable Manufacturing & Energy Transition for Women-led SMEs in Africa,” featured a mix of industry leaders, women entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and energy solution providers to explore the pivotal role of women-led businesses in Africa’s sustainable industrial transformation.
The discussions addressed the acute pressures SMEs face amid surging fuel prices and electricity tariffs – conditions that have made sustainable energy adoption both an environmental and economic imperative. Insights from Alitheia’s own portfolio reveals that adopting renewable energy can cut operational costs by as much as 60%, underscoring the financial viability of clean energy for scaling women-led businesses.
Participants examined practical pathways for women entrepreneurs to access clean energy solutions, scale sustainable manufacturing practices, and contribute meaningfully to Africa’s green economy.
Also speaking, the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Alitheia Capital, Mrs Tokunboh Ishmael said, “We are no longer just talking about sustainability as a nice-to-have. It’s an economic imperative, especially for women entrepreneurs at the heart of Nigeria’s industrial transformation and through W.O.M.A.N by Alitheia, we’re not only spotlighting solutions—we’re scaling them.”
“In our own portfolio, we’ve seen up to a 60 per cent reduction in energy costs among businesses that have adopted clean energy. This is proof that green transition is not only possible but profitable,” she added.
The event also featured keynote addresses and panel discussions with industry leaders including Yemisi Iranloye (CEO, Psaltry), Affiong Williams (CEO, ReelFruit), Temilola Adepetun (Managing Director, SKLD), James Fabola (CFO, Arnergy Solar), Bukola Badmos (Executive Director & CFO, Starsight Energy), and Sarah Ogbewey, (Head, Strategic Partnerships, Renewable Energy & Mobility, Sterling Bank).
Alitheia Capital also launched Nzinga, its SME capacity-building platform designed to equip entrepreneurs with tools for scaling their businesses sustainably.
In parallel, Manufacturing Africa unveiled its Green Business Building (GBB) accelerator, which will drive the growth of green businesses through strategic support on core business problems, leading to the development of an ecosystem for green manufacturing and green jobs in Nigeria.
There was also an ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) knowledge session, exhibitions from green energy and manufacturing solution providers, and a resounding call to action: expand access to capital, strengthen ecosystems, and enable policy that supports inclusive green industrialization.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A notable cement maker in Nigeria, Lafarge Africa Plc, has scaled up action to beat plastic pollution through circular economy.
The company, in commemoration of World Environment Day 2025, reaffirmed its commitment to tackling Nigeria’s plastic waste crisis.
In a statement, Lafarge Africa said one of its strategies of addressing the waste pollution is by adopting scalable and circular economy practices across its host communities in Lagos, Sagamu, Ewekoro, Ashaka and Mfamosing.
Another is by designing impactful initiatives and engaging in vital awareness campaigns on waste segregation and PET bottle recycling, demonstrating how plastic waste can be recycled and transformed into useful items.
During this year’s World Environment Day themed Beat Plastic Pollution, the cement miller held environmental sensitization campaigns at its Ashaka and Ewekoro factories.
It also carried out tree planting activities in communities like Lapeleke in Ogun State and Mfamosing in Cross River State to support ecosystem restoration and climate action efforts, as well as a clean-up exercise at the community markets.
“At Lafarge Africa, we have never believed in doing business at the expense of the environment. We continue to rethink our processes, invest in innovation, and ensure that sustainability remains at the core of our strategy.
“I am proud to say that we continue to lead the way in circular economy solutions through Geocycle,” the chief executive of Lafarge Africa, Mr Lolu Alade-Akinyemi, said.
On her part, the Director of Health, Safety and Environment at Lafarge Africa, Ms Rachael Ezembakwe, said, “We are focused on minimizing our footprint and ensuring that our operations do not become a burden to the communities we serve.”
“Let us all remember that we are protecting the environment not just for ourselves, but for the future of our children,” she said.
Delivering the keynote address, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Climate Change and Circular Economy, Ms Titilayo Oshodi, noted that while Lagos State government continues to drive waste reforms through education, behavioural change and recycling incentives, partnerships with companies like Lafarge Africa are essential to scaling impact.
In the same vein, the Commissioner for Environment in Cross River State, Mr Moses Osogi, expressed gratitude to Lafarge Africa for its continued commitment to protecting the environment; acknowledging the company’s numerous initiatives to help create healthier, more resilient communities for present and future generations.
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