Sahara Upstream has announced the acceleration of its next-phase oilfield services strategy, deepening investments in Arahas Global Oilfield Services (Arahas) and SGIR Rigs and Energy Limited. The move positions both entities as integrated platforms designed to meet the rising demand for world-class upstream services across Africa.
The initiative underscores Sahara Upstream’s commitment to strengthening Africa’s energy infrastructure and delivering cutting-edge solutions that support exploration, drilling, and production activities in the region’s oil and gas sector.
As part of this strategic direction, Sahara has appointed Gopi Nath as Director, Oilfield Services, with responsibility for providing strategic oversight for both businesses as they drive operational integration, expand service capabilities, and deliver greater value across the upstream value chain.
Speaking on the appointment, Executive Director, Sahara Upstream, Ade Odunsi, said the next phase of growth for Africa’s upstream industry will depend on strong regional service companies with the capability to execute increasingly complex projects safely, efficiently, and sustainably. Besides, he explained that the development reflects the firm’s continued investment in building indigenous oilfield services capacity capable of supporting Africa’s evolving energy landscape through engineering excellence, operational reliability, innovation and sustainable execution.
“Building resilient energy systems requires equally resilient service businesses. Arahas and SGIR are strategically positioned to deliver the technical expertise, operational excellence, and customer-focused solutions required by operators across the continent. Gopi’s appointment strengthens our ability to accelerate that ambition,” Odunsi said.
He noted that Sahara continues to invest in businesses that create long-term value across Africa’s energy sector. “Our objective is not simply to grow two businesses. We are building integrated service platforms capable of supporting exploration, drilling, engineering, project delivery, and production operations at a standard that competes globally while remaining rooted in Africa,” he added.
Sahara Upstream deploys tanker to enhance oil evacuation
Commenting on his appointment, Nath said Sahara has built strong foundations for creating one of Africa’s leading oilfield services platforms.
“This is an exciting period for Sahara’s oilfield services business. We have exceptional talent, established capabilities, and a clear strategic direction. My focus will be on strengthening collaboration across Arahas and SGIR, enhancing customer value, driving execution excellence, and expanding our service offerings to meet the evolving needs of Africa’s energy industry,” he said, assuring that the businesses would continue setting new benchmarks for safety, innovation, operational performance, and stakeholder value while supporting sustainable energy development across the continent.
Nath further noted that Arahas was established to deliver high-impact oilfield services anchored on engineering excellence, operational reliability, innovation, and sustainability, while SGIR provides drilling, engineering, project execution, and field support services that enhance operational efficiency across upstream operations.
“Together, both businesses form a critical component of Sahara Upstream’s long-term strategy to strengthen local capacity, improve execution, and provide integrated solutions across the upstream value chain,” he concluded.
