By Amin Kef-Ranger
NP-Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd) is a very dependable petroleum marketing entity that assiduously continues to ascend the slippery ladder within the economic landscape of this country.
The meteoric rise of NP should not come as any big surprise to anyone as it epitomizes the crystallization of determination, hard work and sheer entrepreneurial skills on the part of Sierra Leoneans who formed the company and the capable managerial teams that have been steering the affairs of a 100% indigenously owned outfit.
Its continuous ascendancy is indeed a clear manifestation of dogged commitment by all those who are associated with it to succeed.
If there is one outstanding feature which makes the company stands unique and apart then that could be its innate passion to give maximum care and attention to its numerous customers. The company’s shareholders and Management do not joke with Customer Care as it is highly prioritized in all the company’s transactions.
This could sound very simplistic when looked at from the face value but for NP, its thorough and cautious implementation is very close to their heart and indeed such is paying fruitful dividends.
Of course it really makes sense that availing customers with qualitative petroleum products, dealing with them respectfully , negotiating win-win deals will all contribute in retaining customers as well as wooing new ones.
With all amount of certainty it could be safely concluded that NP has mastered those business techniques, deepening them and they are working well, accomplishments, which many have attested to.
It has been established by development specialists that proper implementation of the Local Content Policy is indeed a very important cog that should be in the wheel of the engine to thrust growth.
One business entity that is strictly adhering to enhance the Local Content Policy in this country is NP-SL Ltd. The Shareholders and Management of the company have made it a matter of policy to get in its employ indigenes and even in cases where expatriates are engaged, local members of staff are given the opportunity to understudy them so that at the end of the day they will imbibe the necessary skills to take over.
This is very advantageous in the sense that it helps in providing jobs and to develop a crop of competent individuals which the country needs in its development interventions.
Cooking is an inevitable aspect of human life, whether for domestic and commercial purposes. Man depends on food for survival, individuals invest in food businesses and the like.
Very mindful of the hazardous effects of depleting the environment, using traditional means of cooking, with specific reference to making use of wood, charcoal, the company deemed it prudent to introduce NP-Gas which is very fast to ignite, quick to perform, safe and highly convenient.
NP Gas, which is in different sizable cylinders could be accessed and bought at the company’s filling stations and from authorized dealers.
The company has high profiled customers with tight schedules who may have limited time to always wait in queues in order to purchase petroleum products.
Besides, some people are not used to have huge cash in their possession but prefer using smart cards. For these reasons the company went the extra mile to introduce NP Smart Card which customers, those who can afford it, could use to purchase petroleum products.
From what was so far gathered all the customers who are using NP Smart Card are well satisfied doing so saying it is very convenient further praising NP for rolling out that initiative.
The viability of NP could be measured by its expansionist achievements both within the country and in the West African sub-region as is evident with the opening of branches in Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and The Gambia.
For a hundred percent indigenously owned company to go to such a level of spreading its tentacles is actually commendable and worthy of praise. As far as we know the branches in all those countries are doing extremely well amidst inevitable challenges which must be surmounted.
One thing which cannot be challenged is the fact that NP is greatly contributing to revenue accumulation when we think of its timely payment of taxes which Governments are using to fund various development projects.
Regardless, of all the teething challenges that stand in the way of the petroleum importing and marketing company, one of which is the depreciation of the Leone to the Dollar, as the company purchases petroleum products in dollars, yet still the company is navigating its way through the murky economic maze which is globally felt.
Without mincing the truth, NP’s ascendancy is really breath-taking and highly impressive.
