Sahara Group's Strategy to Overcome Colonial Mentality

Tonye Cole, co-founder of Sahara Group, disclosed in an interview on the Afropolitan podcast that he and his partners created a foreign identity for their company to combat the "colonial mentality" prevalent in Nigeria's oil and gas industry. They registered Sahara Group in the Isle of Man and presented it as an expatriate company, introducing a fictitious British figure known as “Dr J” to facilitate access to opportunities typically reserved for foreign firms.

Cole explained that this strategy was necessary due to the perception that foreign companies were more capable than local ones. He noted that their youth, being in their late 20s, also posed challenges, as potential clients were skeptical of their ability to operate a company in the sector.

Cole emphasized that successful players in the industry were often foreign-owned or had foreign connections, prompting their decision to register abroad and create the impression of working for an experienced foreign businessman.