By Moses Patience Chat
The Executive Secretary (ES) of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Mr Clement Isong, has said that automation should be included in the Nigerian downstream petroleum sector to aid transparency and boost excellence in customer service.
Isong made this known while speaking at a virtual workshop on World International Data Day in Lagos where he commented on the benefit of data and automation in the downstream sector. He added that automation will ensure transparency and boost excellent customer service, eliminate fraud and corruption, and clean up the reputation of the industry that has been tainted.
The MOMAN ES encouraged the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to invest in infrastructure for data gathering.
In his own words, “our position in MOMAN is that we are looking for the automation of the entire supply chain. It will mean everybody needs to invest in order to optimize their businesses.
“The beneficiary eventually will be the customer. It is good for corporate governance. It removes people’s ability to steal and the authority (NMDPRA) itself has got to invest in infrastructure for data gathering and has got to do a preliminary analysis of that data and has to put up that information on its website, which investors, marketers, operators, and everybody can access.
“It is fundamental to a deregulated system. It improves the quality of decision-making, transparency, and eliminates bad behavior, as well as fraud and theft. You have to shine your light and darkness and bad practices will disappear. This is very important.”