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Sahara Upstream has strengthened its integrated oilfield services platform with the appointment of Gopi Nath as Director, Oilfield Services, reinforcing the company’s Beyond XXX commitment to building future-ready businesses that will support Africa’s evolving energy landscape.
In his new role, Nath will provide strategic oversight for Arahas Global Oilfield Services (Arahas) and SGIR Rigs and Energy Limited, leading the continued transformation of both businesses into integrated service platforms focused on
operational excellence, innovation, customer value, and sustainable growth.
The appointment forms part of Sahara Upstream’s broader transformation following its organisational restructuring and reflects the company’s long-term strategy of investing in the people, capabilities, and systems required to shape the future of
energy in Africa.
Speaking on the appointment, Ade Odunsi, Executive Director, Sahara Upstream, said leadership remains central to delivering Sahara’s long-term growth ambitions. “As we advance our Beyond XXX agenda, we are intentionally building businesses that are equipped for the future,” Odunsi said. “That means investing in leadership, strengthening capabilities, embracing innovation, and creating integrated service platforms that deliver smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable solutions across Africa’s energy value chain.”
He said the appointment reinforces Sahara’s commitment to developing businesses capable of supporting Africa’s changing energy needs. “Our vision extends beyond operational growth. We are building future-ready businesses that create lasting value for customers, partners, host communities, and the wider energy industry. Gopi’s appointment reflects our confidence in his ability to
unlock synergies, strengthen execution, and position Arahas and SGIR for long-term
success.”
Arahas continues to provide engineering-led oilfield services built around operational reliability, safety, innovation, and sustainability, while SGIR delivers drilling, engineering, project execution, and field support services that enhance production
performance across upstream operations.
Together, the businesses represent an important part of Sahara’s strategy to strengthen indigenous service capability while supporting responsible energy development across Africa.
Commenting on his appointment, Gopi Nath said the organisation is well positioned for its next phase of transformation. “This is an exciting period for Sahara’s oilfield services business. We have strong foundations, exceptional talent, and a clear strategic direction. My focus will be on strengthening collaboration across our service companies, driving execution excellence, enhancing customer value, and building scalable platforms that contribute meaningfully to Africa’s energy aspirations.”
He added that the goal is to build oilfield services businesses that establish new benchmarks for reliability, safety, innovation, sustainability, and stakeholder value while helping shape the future of oilfield services across Africa.
The appointment reinforces Sahara’s Beyond XXX philosophy, which focuses on building the capabilities, partnerships, and platforms that will define the next chapter of Africa’s energy future through responsible growth, innovation, and sustainable
value creation.
