PRESS RELEASE: Marie-Joséphine Sidibé elected President of ARDA, Evans Mauta named Vice-President

ABIDJAN, 30 May 2025 – The African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) has announced key leadership appointments, marking an important milestone in its ongoing mission to drive growth and advocacy across Africa’s energy sector.

At its Annual General Meeting held on 10th April 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa, Marie-Joséphine Sidibé, Managing Director of the Multinational Bitumen Company (SMB) in Côte d’Ivoire, was elected the new President of ARDA. She succeeds Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, former CEO of Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority (NPA), who led the Association with distinction since April 2023.

At the same time, ARDA appointed Evans Mauta – CEO of INDENI Petroleum Refinery Ltd in Zambia, long-serving Executive Committee member, and QHSE Workgroup leader – as Vice-President.

President Sidibé: A Visionary Leader Driving ARDA’s Future

Mrs Sidibé is a seasoned leader in Africa’s downstream oil sector, bringing over 30 years of experience to her new role at ARDA. A graduate of the École Supérieure de Commerce d’Abidjan (ESCA), she began her career in banking with Société Générale in France and Côte d’Ivoire before transitioning to the oil and gas industry in 1991.

She went on to spend three decades at Société Ivoirienne de Raffinage (SIR), gaining extensive expertise in refining and downstream operations. In 2021, she was appointed Managing Director of Société Multinationale de Bitumes (SMB), a key player in the bitumen sector throughout the sub-region.

Speaking at ARDA Week 2025, Mrs Sidibé reflected on the association’s evolution and its growing influence in Africa’s energy landscape. She praised the foresight of ARDA’s founders in 2006 – Mr Joël Dervain, President Emeritus of ARDA, and CITAC Africa Ltd – and paid tribute to the leadership of those who followed, including current Executive Secretary Mr Anibor Kragha.

Mrs Sidibé commented:

“ARDA Week has become a unique forum, connecting stakeholders from North to South, East to West Africa. It has helped the industry to organise, innovate, and align with international standards. Today, ARDA is a key voice in dialogue with governments, major corporations, and international institutions.”

Mrs Sidibé also highlighted that ARDA’s impact extends well beyond its high-level conferences. She underscored the importance of collaboration, technical exchange, and regional capacity building—practical mechanisms she views as vital for Africa’s energy transition and infrastructure development.

She emphasised:

“ARDA has the unique merit of connecting people. We face the same challenges across our continent and must create concrete solutions together to advance our industry. Today, thanks to ARDA, an engineer from Cameroon can train in Côte d’Ivoire, and an Ivorian expert can share knowledge in Nigeria.”

Vice-President Mauta: Technical Expertise to Support ARDA’s Mission

Mrs Sidibé will be strongly supported in her role by newly elected Vice-President Evans Mauta, who currently serves as CEO of INDENI Energy in Zambia – one of ARDA’s founding member organisations. A chemical engineer by training, Mr Mauta holds degrees from the University of Birmingham and the University of Hull in the UK, and brings over 25 years of experience across the mining and oil sectors.

He has long played a central role in ARDA’s technical work, leading the Quality, Health, Safety and Environment (QHSE) Workgroup and contributing to the development of industry-wide standards across the continent.

Mr Mauta said:

“As a founding member of ARDA, my organisation has seen the benefits it offers. ARDA provides a platform to connect with refiners and technology suppliers on the refining side, as well as traders and storage manufacturing companies on the oil and distribution side. It’s an efficient way to meet everyone under one roof, saving the time and effort of travelling to multiple locations to structure business deals and contracts.”

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About ARDA

The African Refiners & Distributors Association (ARDA) is a leading non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing the sustainable development of Africa’s energy sector. The mission of our community is to promote collaboration among industry stakeholders, foster innovation, and drive investment to address Africa’s energy challenges. Through its work, ARDA aims to help unlock the continent’s energy potential, reduce energy poverty, and support Africa’s economic growth.

For all press enquiries, please contact: media@afrra.org

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