Sahara Group: Making a Difference with Cultural Diversity

Friday, May 19, 2023, was certainly not your usual day across Sahara Group as employees lit up the energy conglomerate’s locations with various cultural outfits in celebration of the World Cultural Diversity Day 2023. From Africa to Asia, down to Europe and the Middle East, the bold colours, attires, beads, head gears, and yes, variety of food on display were remarkable signposts to how Sahara Group continues to make a difference on the wings of the diversity of its employees, writes Precious Ugwuzor

The visionaries who gave birth to Sahara Group were driven by a passion to create an organization that would be peopled by individuals from different nationalities across the globe. This desire has consistently propelled the growth and expansion of Sahara across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

 Today, with over 5,000 employees from multiple nationalities, Sahara’s cultural tapestry is enriched by individuals from all walks of life, each one contributing their unique experiences, expertise, and perspectives towards bringing energy to life responsibly.

Expectedly, the result is a vibrant and dynamic community that celebrates diversity, fosters inclusion, and nourishes creativity. Indeed, Sahara Group’s inimitable diversity is a living testament to the beauty and richness of multiculturalism.

To commemorate the 2023 Cultural Diversity Day, Sahara Group celebrated in style! Employees across the globe embraced their heritage by donning a kaleidoscope of cultural outfits, creating a vibrant and colourful atmosphere that truly captured the essence of Sahara’s diverse workforce.

From the traditional African attires to the colourful garb of Asia and the intricate patterns of Europe and graceful simplicity of the Middle East, the global team came together as one to celebrate the uniqueness of every culture that defines the unique expressions of the Sahara Family. It was a day filled with laughter, joy, and a deep appreciation for the exceptional “unity in diversity” camaraderie  that makes Sahara Group such a special place to work.

A global virtual event, hosted by the Sahara team in Tanzania was main event of the day. At Sahara, the various locations take turns to host the Cultural Diversity Day every year. It is one of the most anticipated events within the organization as employees look to outwit each other to the coveted crown of “Best Dressed Saharian”.

Bethel Obioma, Head Corporate Communications Sahara Group explained that the company is “over the moon” with diversity and would always go the extra mile to promote inclusion, equality, equity and a workplace where “every Saharan brings that unique stoke of individuality to the Sahara Masterpiece”.

“At Sahara, we believe in diversity, and it is reflected in our policies of equal opportunity and zero discrimination. We promote collaborative accountability, which is the cornerstone of our ‘your job is not done until the job is done’ mantra.

” We take pride in what we have accomplished over the past 26 years and recognize the unique contributions of each Saharian to these achievements. Together, we are committed to making a difference as we continue to extract value, creativity and sustainability from our diversity,” Obioma said.

The Tanzanian team put up an exceptional show, featuring the various tribes, fashion, food, tourist attraction and unique attributes that make Tanzania exceptional. From the interesting and alluring story of the Maasai tribe to Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa, dance performances, and traditional food tasting, it was a spectacular show. The interminable “Nigeria-Ghana jollof war” popped up as always during the event! Well, a truce was called, it had to be “no victor, no vanquished” in the spirit of inclusion and diversity!!

“Commemorating the Cultural Diversity Day is very important to us as it is a clear expression of what we live and work for at Sahara Group. Today is an affirmation of our unwavering commitment towards promoting inclusivity, creativity and diversity. Valuing and celebrating our diversity gets the team working more collaboratively, seamlessly and effectively,” said Olumuyiwa Aladejana, Country Manager, Sahara Tanzania.

The day would end with the keenly contested “Best Dressed” contest – one that is still ongoing as each entry is expected to garner likes on the company’s Yammer platform from across the group to have a shot at the coveted title. This further reinforces borderless collaboration among the various Sahara entities in the upstream, downstream, midstream, power, infrastructure, and technology sectors.

There’s so much excitement around the entity poised to host the 2024 edition and how ‘MAD’ the event would be. The word ‘MAD’ at Sahara Group is the acronym for ‘Making a Difference’. Cultural diversity is a must have attribute for corporate organisations that desire to be ‘MAD’ and successful!