Kola Karim is the Executive Chairman of Shoreline Group, a leading investor in the energy, infrastructure, and engineering sectors across the globe—with strong operational presence in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Europe. The Group combines long-term capital, technical execution, and deep local market expertise to build institutional-quality platforms in sectors critical to Africa’s growth. Over the past 30 years, Mr. Karim has guided Shoreline’s growth, transforming it into one of Nigeria’s top independent oil producers, amassing assets with reserves exceeding 1.5 billion barrels, with 5,000+ employees in over 16 African countries. In 2025, Shoreline Group’s revenue was over $1.2 billion.

Shoreline’s subsidiaries include Shoreline Natural Resources Limited, an owner of OML 30 and a major independent in Nigeria’s upstream market with 1.2 billion barrels of oil reserves and approximately 70,000 barrels of oil per day; Mota Engil Nigeria, a joint venture with Mota Engil and one of the foremost construction companies in the country, specialising in infrastructure including railways, roads, and bridges; DBN Energies, a company with over 35 years of expertise in the engineering and EPC sector, serving major producers such as NLNG and TotalEnergies; Arkad SpA, Shoreline’s Italy-based engineering hub serving clients across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and Asia; and Shoreline Power Company, a leading power generation business; among others.

Shoreline’s business activities extend from Nigeria to Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, Namibia, and Ghana. The Shoreline businesses are supported by a global logistics and procurement hub in the UAE through its Gulf Africa subsidiary, while the Group’s private aviation assets are managed through its Sky Horizon Air logistics business. 

In addition to his corporate leadership, Mr. Karim chairs the Advisory Board of British American Tobacco, serves on the Dean’s Council of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and serves on the Africa Advisory Board of the London Stock Exchange. He was recognised as a Young Global Leader (2008) and is a pioneering member of the Global Agenda Council on Emerging Multinationals at the World Economic Forum. He has presented papers and delivered speeches at various international conferences, investment forums, and leading academic institutions. 

Mr. Karim balances his business pursuits with a strong commitment to advancing development and education throughout the continent. He is a staunch advocate for a pan-African agenda at the Harvard Centre for African Studies, where he serves on the advisory board. His focus is on establishing a Pan-African Resource Centre, with the first hub to be launched in South Africa. In addition, he advises and supports various African diaspora groups, representing interests across the Sahel and Sub-Saharan Africa. He also sits on the Board of Governors at the Grange School in Lagos, Nigeria, where he is committed to fostering technology-based learning and expanding the school’s facilities. Founded by British expatriates, the Grange School is renowned for its educational excellence and is one of only three schools in Nigeria accredited by the UK’s Independent Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS). 

Mr. Karim’s philanthropic efforts extend through the Karim Family Foundation, Project Halo, which focuses on providing scholarships and bursaries for outstanding young individuals to pursue further education. In partnership with a network of UK charities, the foundation has positively impacted the lives of many talented students. Most recently, Project Halo awarded scholarships to 20 students to support their studies at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

Mr. Karim holds an LLM in International Business Law with a focus on environmental law and a BA in Business Management both from the University of Cumbria in the United Kingdom. He is also an Alumnus of the Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Executive Management Program. In 2021, Mr. Karim was conferred with the traditional title of Agbaoye of Ibadan Land.