Nigeria to Digitize Petroleum Resources Department Operations

In a statement by the by Paul Osu of the Public Affairs Department, The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) is set to roll out a digitalization programme to automate its critical operations, enhance the efficiency of its regulatory deliverables and accelerate recovery of outstanding revenues due to the government.

The programme, when rolled out, will improve regulatory service delivery to stakeholders, promote transparency and effective monitoring of the Oil and Gas industry, enhance the ease of doing business in the oil and gas sector in alignment with the government’s executive order 001, and upgrade the DPR’s operational standards to world-class levels.

One of the automation project in the works is IMPEX (Import and Export) Permit digitalisation which will automate the administrative role of issuing import and export permits on petroleum products. It will ensure timely and transparent automation for ease of obtaining permits for importing or exporting petroleum products.

Secondly, the Fiscal Payment Administrative System (FISPAS)  is designed to enhance the collection of government revenue like royalty, concession rentals, and flare penalty, among others. It will ensure timely and transparent e-billing of companies, thereby enhancing the government’s  revenue profile.

Smart Inspector is the electronic monitoring/reporting system of petroleum product retail outlets nationwide.  It ensures generation of real-time and accurate data of retail outlets and has the overall objective of curbing irregularities in the provision of service to customers by retail outlets.

In 2014, DPR automated the process of issuing oil and gas industry service permit (OGISP), a statutory requirement issued to Nigerian registered companies seeking to render services in the oil and gas industry, is categorised into the general, major and specialised categories.

Later it was followed by the National Production Monitoring System (NPMS ) launch, which is designed to receive in real time oil and gas production data from the fields and enhance transparency of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry in alignment with the government’s aspiration.

Paul Osu said; the DPR wishes to assure all stakeholders that it will continue to strive for excellence with integrity in the discharge of its regulatory oversight functions to the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.