NNPC to Automate Corporation’s Downstream Facilities, Says Kyari

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, has stated that the corporation is poised to automate its downstream facilities such as depots, pump stations and measurement systems across the Country.
Mallam Kyari stated this during a tour of the state-of-the-art products loading facility and lubricants manufacturing plant of MRS Oil Nigeria Plc, an indigenous oil company based in Lagos, saying the move would align with the corporation’s commitment to accountability and transparency and efficiency in the Subsector.
He said the visit was a follow-up to the recently launched Operation White initiative which is aimed at taking stock of every drop of white products in every NNPC’s location nationwide, particularly Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
The NNPC helmsman, further said  that as a control mechanism, the Operation White has so far produced significant results as the corporation now clearly knows the areas of losses as well as reliability and integrity status of each and every facility under its control.
“As you can see, those control measures have produced results. The evacuation from many of the depots has drastically gone down. We shall go further on this and ensure that the evacuation issues are brought to the nearest level possible,” Kyari added.
Kyari said as an enabler company with the responsibility of ensuring energy security for the country, NNPC would sustain its engagement drive of the Downstream stakeholders, saying every stakeholder along the Subsector value chain was very critical.
He particularly acknowledged the recent successful operations of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) which he said had helped tremendously in reducing the cross-border leakages and losses suffered by the Country.
Responding, the Group Chief Executive Officer of MRS Oil Nig. Plc, Alhaji Sayyu Dantata, thanked the GMD for the visit, saying that as the leader of the Industry, NNPC has been very supportive towards the growth of indigenous companies.
Dantata also welcomed the move by the NNPC to upgrade and automate its systems and processes so as to bring more efficiency and curtail losses across the downstream value-chain.
 In another development, the medical arm of  the corporation, NNPC Medical Services Ltd (NMSL),  has as a part of its determination to curb medical tourism and capital flight, inaugurated a state-of-the-art diagnostics laboratory capable of detecting most of the endemic diseases for which many Nigerians have been travelling abroad to seek medical care.
Speaking, recently  at the inauguration of the diagnostics laboratory in Abuja, the Managing Director of NMSL, Dr. Musa Shaibu, said the installation of the diagnostics laboratory was part of NMSL’s commitment to providing efficient commercial medical services to NNPC staff and members of the public.
The Acting Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division, Mr. Samson Makoji, said that Dr. Shaibu revealed that the facility was a practical demonstration of NMSL’s vision of adding value to the wellbeing of not just the NNPC workforce but also to members of the Nigerian public.
He said the establishment of the laboratory would make NMSL to be completely independent and cut cost in terms of referrals to other diagnostic laboratories in Abuja.
On her part, the Manager of NNPC Diagnostic Laboratory, Bishop Brigid Udoh, stated that the molecular special laboratory would also focus on DNA and genotyping services to see Nigerians stay healthy.
The NNPC Molecular Specialist, Kelvin Agimogim, explained that the facility has the capacity to provide kanotyping, agrogenomics, and pre-implantation of pregnancy or IVF procedures, adding that it also has facilities to carry out investigation detection and quantification of HIV 1 and 2, Hepatitis A, B, C, genotyping and paternity test amongst others.