African Refiners and Distributors Association Elects Dr.Mustapha Abdul-Hamid as its President Abdul

African Refiners and Distributors Association Elects Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid as its President
At the annual conference of Africa Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) in Cape
Town, South Africa.


Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the Chief Executive Officer of the National
Petroleum Authority on Thursday, was elected as President of the organization
As the collective voice of all downstream petroleum stakeholders in Africa, ARDA
represents all downstream petroleum operators.
The organization, which has 74 consortium from 52 African countries as members, is
composed of members who have a common interest in issues relating to the refining, storage,
distribution, and regulation of petroleum products in Africa.

ARDA has its administrative headquarters in Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire and it’s legal
headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
On Sunday, March 12, 2023, the Executive Committee of the continental organization
approved the Executive Secretary's nomination of Dr. Abdul-Hamid.
The nomination of Dr. Abdul-Hamid as President of ARDA for the years 20232024


received unanimous approval from the General Assembly at its meeting on Thursday,


February 16, 2023.



The term of the ARDA presidency is one year, and renewable for an additional year.
Anibor Kragha, Executive Secretary of ARDA, stated in his letter of nomination for Dr.
Abdul-Hamid that "Dr. Abdul-Hamid has brought a lot of dynamism and change to the
petroleum downstream in Ghana." The ARDA currently needs the nominee's integrity and
honesty in public life, he continued.
Before the General Assembly voted, Dr. AbdulHamid was asked to address the group and
explain why his nomination should be approved by Madame Marieme Ndoye Decraene, the
immediate past president of ARDA.
"I have been Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) since July, 2021,
and I believe that in my time at the NPA, wehave put in place reforms that are changing the
landscape of the downstream petroleum industry in Ghana," Dr. Abdul-Hamid said in his
address to the gathering.
"Secondly, for the majority of my adult life, I have held leadership positions, including those
of Minister of Information for the Republic of Ghana and Minister in Charge of Inner City
and Zongo Development.
“I therefore believe that I can bring my wide experience in leadership to bear on ARDA and
ensure its growth and development for the betterment of the downstream petroleum industry
in Africa” he added.
“I therefore believe that I can use my extensive leadership experience to benefit ARDA and
ensure its expansion and growth for the benefit of Africa's downstream petroleum industry”
he added.
When the question was put, Dr. Abdul-Hamid’s nomination was unanimously endorsed.
In his address to the General Assembly, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the newly elected
president of ARDA, pledged to work closely with the Executive Secretary and the Abidjan
secretariat to ensure the organization's expansion and development.
Dr. Abdul-Hamid thanked the out gone President, Madame Marieme Decraene, for her
contributions and pledged to continue
ARDA's upward trajectory.


Story by Perdita Osei Assibey