IBIA Africa welcomes new Regional Board Members
Looking to a growing region as we welcome new Board Members from Mauritius and Nigeria
As we enter 2023, we celebrate IBIA’s 30-year anniversary. I also have cause for celebration as I will soon enter my 10th year as the Regional Manager for IBIA in Africa, and have witnessed the leaps and bounds we have achieved during this time as an association. It has been my privilege and honour to serve the bunker industry and work with industry giants.
It is a very exciting year for IBIA Africa as we introduce two new members to the Africa Regional Board. Trish Omiyi, Chief Executive Officer, Adept Oil joins us from Nigeria. Trish is Founder and CEO of Adeptoil Ltd, an African-focused energy firm, with a strong interest in the evolving energy landscape. She has positioned her company’s marine fuel supply business on the curve of the lower carbon economy movement by unlocking proximal and competitive supply to West African bunker hubs and ports from the budding teapot refining industry in Nigeria.
We also welcome Rajiv Servansingh, General Manager, State Trading Corporation (STC), Mauritius, who over the past 20 years, has directed and chaired a number of industry and government institutions. STC was set up in Mauritius in October 1982 to be the trading arm of the Government of Mauritius. It operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Consumer Protection. The STC has been entrusted with the responsibility of importing certain essential commodities including all petroleum products and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) traded in Mauritius.
Our new board members join an illustrious collection of Africa marine fuel experts on the IBIA Africa Regional Board. More information about all our Board members may be found on the IBIA website.
The current IBIA Africa Regional Board members are:
– Paul Maclons, IBIA Africa Chair, CEO, African Marine Solutions Group (AMSOL)
– Grant Bairstow, Vice President HSSEQ, Aviation and Marine Technical and Group Audit, Vivo Energy
– Jon Hughes, Managing Director, Dan Bunkering Africa
– Siya Maya, Managing Director, South African Marine Fuels (SAMF)
– Trish Omiyi, CEO, Adept Oil
– Rajiv Servansingh, General Manager, STC Mauritius
– John Tagoe, Head of Technical & Special Products, GOIL Company Limited (GOIL)
The focus for IBIA Africa in 2023 will be on growing the membership and ensuring that we meet the industry’s needs in Africa. This will be done through our IBIA Africa Conference and through online member engagement and meetings, where we can have open and frank discussions as to what the needs are for the Africa bunker industry.
We continue to finalise plans for the 3rd IBIA Africa Conference, which will take place in West Africa in the middle of 2023 (date not available at time of going to print). We look forward to bringing the Africa shipping and bunker industry together and engaging in a meaningful manner on regional and international topics of interest.
As I write this, I am attending Petrospot’s Maritime Week Africa alongside 140 delegates from Africa and the global bunker community, hosted in my home town, Cape Town, South Africa. We are very pleased to see so many of our IBIA members not only attending but participating as speakers and sponsors. After a period of little in-person activity it is great to have suppliers and buyers highlighting the challenges and opportunities presented by the uniquely diverse African bunkering industry.
Should any of our members wish to engage further regarding the above, you are encouraged to contact me directly, particularly should you wish to speak at and participate in the IBIA Africa Conference mid-year.
If you would like to engage with the IBIA Africa team, or become a member of IBIA, explore opportunities to be a speaker, sponsor or find out more about our local activities, engagements and events, please contact me.
I have included a page of IBIA conference and event photos over the past decade and wish you all a successful and prosperous 2023 year, as we work together to grow Africa’s bunkering landscape.
Tahra Sergeant
Regional Manager: Africa
Mobile +27 (0)79 990 7544
E tahra.sergeant@ibia.net
S sergeant.tahra W ibia.net
The above is the IBIA Africa report for the Q1, 2023 issue of World Bunkering, the official magazine of IBIA