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DPR Explores Technology To Improve Service Delivery

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Nigeria, saddled with the responsibility of ensuring compliance to petroleum laws, regulations and guidelines in the Oil and … Continue reading DPR Explores Technology To Improve Service Delivery


George OsahonThe Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Nigeria, saddled with the responsibility of ensuring compliance to petroleum laws, regulations and guidelines in the Oil and Gas Industry, is exploring the use of computer in its service delivery, with a view to ending some of the challenges in the sector.

Seles providers often times are made to face time consuming processes, resulting in delay in product delivery, which has a multiplier effect on the availability of the product.

On Channels Television’s programme, Sunrice Daily, on Tuesday, a senior official of the DPR, Mr George Osahon, said that with the computerisation, what sales providers in the industry do manually would be achieved with the use of a computer in their comfort zone within a short period of time.

“We are going computerised. People will go online, fill the form, pay and even collect their certificates online. Everything is done online.

“That is what we want to introduce to members of the public and if they get any challenge with the online process, there is a number to call. If you go on our website, part of it will tell you that if you have any questions to ask us, fill the forms and we will respond. Any question you have about the industry, we will respond to you,” he said.

With the new online process, a process that usually takes approximately two weeks before certificate is received will now take approximately 72 hours.

“If you fill your form online, DPR will give you a small token and ask you to use that for whatever you want to do. We are starting with this and are making sure that everything will be computerised,” he said.

Mr Osahon explained that handling of petroleum issues and monitoring filling stations were becoming too difficult for the DPR to handle, which led to the decision to involve technology in the handling of petroleum matters.

“In handling Petroleum Products, the DPC will not be going to petrol stations over the next 10 years to check what quantity of fuel is sold for a litre. We should go computerised. If everything go well we will be able to achieve that.

“All filling stations are supposed to provide the information to the DPR all the time. We will collect the information and use the computerised system to check if they are complying with the system,” the director with the DPR said.

With the computerised system the quality control issue will also be addressed.

Most petroleum products sold in Nigeria come from outside the country by import and they are tested in laboratories before they are distributed to various filling stations.

Currently, the DPR goes to filling stations to check if pumps have been adjusted.

He advised the public to be sure that they “see what amount is written on the dispensing machine and to endeavour to tell the fuel attendant the particular amount they want to buy”.

Mr Osahon emphasised that asking the fuel attendant to ‘fill the tank’ could result in sharp practices that would be short-changing the buyer.

He further said that the grading of fuel would likely commence when things improve in the sector.