Only a few days after the first barrel of Senegalese oil was produced, Baba Diao took his leave. Abdoulaye Baba Diao will never see Senegal as an oil-producing country. The businessman died at the age of 79.By Malick GAYE – 

Baba Diao ‘Itoc’! Dressed in principles but never undressed by rumour, the Senegalese oil tycoon is one of the rare sons of the country whose reputation remains intact. And this despite 79 years spent in the quest for perfection and the well-being of the Senegalese people. Henceforth, when we speak of him, the past will be the order of the day, but through his work, Abdoulaye Diao will remain eternal. He passed away yesterday at the age of 79. Senegal owes Petrosen, the State’s technical arm for hydrocarbon management, to this man from Thies. It was the young Baba Diao who wrote the first articles of association for the Senegalese Petroleum Company in the 1970s. Abdoulaye Diao had just returned from France, where he had obtained a degree in physics and economics. He went on to prove his worth as an engineer at the Ecole Centrale in Lille, then as an engineer at the Institut Français du Pétrole (Ifp) in Paris. Noticed by President Léopold Sédar Senghor at the general competitions, where he offered him a scholarship for excellence, the poet brought him back into the fold so that he could participate in the country’s development.

Baba Diao does not disappoint. He was appointed advisor to the Minister of Energy and put his skills to work for Senegal. His time in the Senegalese administration was short-lived compared to his rich career. It was with Cheikh Fall that he learned the rudiments of the trading and transit market. Baba Diao only worked with the former chairman of Air Afrique for a few years before launching his own business. In 1985, International Trade Oil and Shipping (Itoc) was launched with 500,000 CFA francs. The premises were in the Sdih building, which he never left. Like any business, the early days were difficult. Those close to him even questioned his ability to pay the rent. But his tenacity enabled him to overcome these obstacles. He worked his way through large companies such as Total and Mobil to win a tender launched by the African Refinery Company (Sar) for the supply of crude oil. With the help of a network that he set up as a student, Baba Diao brought his first crude oil ship to Senegal, which at the time cost no less than $50 million. By honouring his commitments, he has won the trust of his partners and, at the same time, put Itoc on the road to excellence. Baba Diao was so discreet that his « Itoc » was painted as the property of Moustapha Niasse. But this was not the case. Moustapha Niasse owns only 5% of Itoc. His status as former Prime Minister played in his favour to head Itoc’s Board of Directors. For many years, Itoc was the second largest company in Senegal, with annual sales of over 800 million dollars.

Ordinarily discreet, Baba Diao come to the fore under the Wade regime. Karim Wade, who was rumoured to be planning to enter the oil and gas business, is said to have pushed hard for the government to impose a heavy tax on Oryx, a company in which Baba Diao was the main shareholder. Oryx, once owned by Baba Diao and Jean-Claude Gandour, was one of the world’s leading oil and gas companies. It was sold for more than 7,000 billion FCFA to Sinopec of China.

Baba Diao is one of Senegal’s most respected figures, with many connections among politicians, clerics, journalists and bankers. A special adviser to Macky Sall, he has known the former President of the Republic for more than 25 years. He was also very close to Ousmane Tanor Dieng. Abdou Diouf was also one of his friends. He has never forgotten where he came from.  Every weekend, he spent time with his family on his modern farm in Pout, where he raises livestock, an activity he loves, like any good Fulani. He is also much loved in his home town of Thiès, where he built and housed all his relatives.

It is this worthy son that Senegal we just lost. May his soul rest in peace.

mgaye@lequotidien.sn