Former chief operating officer (COO), of erstwhile Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Anibor Kragha, has been re-elected as executive secretary of the African Refiners & Distributors Association [ARDA].
Kragha is said to have led the organization since 2020, through some of the challenging times in global history, hence the unanimous decision by the organisation to reelect him in office.
During his first term, Kragha is reported to have created value for the organization by promoting its objectives, improving interaction between African refiners and distributors and international marketing, trading, engineering and financial service companies.
On the investment side, Kragha reiterated his focus on improving financing channels for downstream players. An advocate for the establishment of the African Energy Transition Bank – an African based financial institution that would provide access to financing local content African energy projects.
He recognizes the role the private sector in expanding the downstream market, and drives the narrative that Africa’s more-than 56 development finance institutions need to step up and finance Africa’s energy future.
His engagement with stakeholders, ability to navigate challenges and commitment to advancing Africa’s downstream sector all represent key attributes that led to his re-election.
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The erstwhile NNPC chief has been a long-standing supporter of investing in Africa’s infrastructure projects. He believes that energy security represents a short-term priority in Africa while driving the energy transition represents a long-term objective.
With more than 600 million people without access to electricity and 900 million without access to clean cooking solutions, scaling up infrastructure developments through the construction and upgrading of refineries, pipelines and import-export terminals represent the solution to driving long-term and sustainable socioeconomic growth in Africa.
Kragha has been steadfast in his commitment to strengthening energy security in Africa, advocating for strong, aligned government policies, sustainable financing mechanisms and the development of widespread supply chains through investments in refining, storage and distribution.
On the other hand, he recognizes the significant impacts climate change poses on the continent as well as the need to transition to a cleaner energy future. He represents a strong advocate for a robust energy mix; the establishment of carbon credits and an African carbon credit trading platform to accelerate the creation of quality credits that are sought globally; and the advancement in the development of cleaner fuels such as natural gas.
Under his leadership, ARDA is working towards partnering with industry on the development of an African Downstream Transition Plan which will enable the organization to determine key areas of need in investment on a decade-by-decade basis.
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By facilitating dialogue between African downstream players and international investors, advocating for the maximization of crude oil in Africa through the production and distribution of cleaner fuels via integrated storage and distribution infrastructure, and providing tangible financial solutions for African countries, Kragha delivers a unified voice regarding Africa’s energy future.
“We are proud to see Anibor Kragha being re-elected for a second term as Executive Secretary at ARDA. Since his appointment in 2020, Kragha has led the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, economic uncertainty caused by geopolitical factors and various other market-related challenges.
And despite all of this, Kragha has been resilient; not only ensuring the organization is surviving but is thriving. During his first term, Kragha played an instrumental part in expanding the downstream sector through engaging with stakeholders, offering tangible solutions to challenges while promoting Africa’s needs in the current global energy climate.
“We are looking forward to what Kragha will do during his next term, and as the voice of the African energy sector, offer our support to him and ARDA as they continue to drive Africa into a new era of market growth and success,” states NJ Ayuk, executive director, African Chamber
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“We are proud to see Anibor Kragha being re-elected for a second term as executive secretary at ARDA. Since his appointment in 2020, Kragha has led the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, economic uncertainty caused by geopolitical factors and various other market-related challenges. And despite all of this, Kragha has been resilient; not only ensuring the organization is surviving but is thriving.
During his first term, Kragha played an instrumental part in expanding the downstream sector through engaging with stakeholders, offering tangible solutions to challenges while promoting Africa’s needs in the current global energy climate. We are looking forward to what Kragha will do during his next term, and as the voice of the African energy sector, offer our support to him and ARDA as they continue to drive Africa into a new era of market growth and success,” states NJ Ayuk, executive chairman of the AEC.
By Ken Okoye
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