Nnenna Akajemeli, SERVICOM’s national coordinator, has scored the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) high in its service delivery to its customers and stakeholders.

Ms Akajemeli gave the commendation at a formal presentation of SERVICOM Compliance Evaluation reports of NMDPRA and its 13 selected field offices across the country in Abuja on Monday.

According to her, SERVICOM has been at the forefront of evaluating service delivery across Nigeria’s ministries, departments, and agencies.

She said that SERVICOM’s rating system ranged from zero to five stars, with scores between 90 and 100 earning the prestigious five-star rating, a feat yet to be achieved by any MDA.

The report highlighted the strengths of various offices. For instance, Abuja’s office excelled in emergency responsiveness, while Bayelsa’s proactive monitoring ensured safety standards.

Kano’s office was lauded for quality control and customer trust, and Lagos streamlined operations through digitalisation.

Ms Akajemeli emphasised continuous improvement and stakeholder engagement to enhance public service delivery and citizen satisfaction. She said that NMDPRA, as a regulatory agency, conducted regular surveillance to ensure product availability and compliance.

She said some challenges were, however, noticed. She listed the challenges, including duplication of duties among regulatory bodies, which frustrates stakeholders, and reliance on third-party labs for testing, which raised concerns about oversight.

She said that during the evaluation, it was observed that there is no reward system in place for staff who excel in the discharge of their duties, especially in the regional and state offices.

According to her, this negatively impacts staff morale and productivity and ultimately affects the quality of services delivered to stakeholders.

She suggested improving and decentralising decision-making to enhance service efficiency and automating processes for better productivity.

The SERVICOM boss said that it was clear that while NMDPRA had made commendable strides, continuous improvement was essential to meet the evolving needs of Nigeria’s petroleum sector.

Responding, the NMDPRA chief executive, Ahmed Farouk, said the authority had taken note of all the observations, adding that this was not a time for excuses.

He outlined strategic improvements in reward systems and service delivery.

“The NMDPRA plans to implement quarterly reviews for business rewards to boost workforce motivation rather than waiting for an assessment.

“Efforts are also underway to decentralise complaint systems and enhance ICT tools across regional offices to improve operational efficiency and service delivery,” he said.

(NAN)