By Amin Kef Sesay
The National Petroleum (NP) SL Limited continues to positively contribute to the socio-economic development of the country in diverse ways. With a capable Board of Directors and Management at the helm, the company has provided job opportunities and continues to do so for those who were hitherto unemployed thereby contributing greatly towards poverty alleviation.
Customer care is key to the National Petroleum Sierra Leone (NP-SL) Limited viability and sustainability in a highly competitive market. This is according to recent research done on the viability and sustainability of the operations of Sierra Leone’s most viable and sustainable international service deliverer – the National Petroleum Sierra Leone. The research included tests on the standard and quality of the National Petroleum products which customers say they have never had cause to grumble.
Being Sierra Leone’s leading and longest serving oil marketing company, the National Petroleum (NP) SL Limited continues to weather the storm gallantly as it endeavours to give optimum satisfaction to its esteemed customers across the country as well as in neighbouring Liberia, Guinea, Ivory Coast and The Gambia where it also operates as a truly multinational Sierra Leone company.
Since its establishment, NP has been meaningfully contributing to economic growth through payment of taxes and rolling out meaningful interventions in the discharge of Corporate Social Responsibility that are transforming lives and improving communities.
The company always ensures that petroleum products are available, thereby preventing shortages that could create shocks in many quarters. The level of confidence which overseas business partners have reposed in the company has made it possible for it to enter into payment agreements thereby keeping the demand and supply chain open and running.
The company has gained reputation for offering a variety of managerial and technical jobs to Sierra Leoneans and other individuals throughout the countries it operates; thereby helping in improving standards of living in the respective countries where it operates.
NP-SL by giving preference to employing Sierra Leoneans is a clear indication that it adheres to the country’s Local Content Policy. Utilizing local talents make it possible for indigenes to acquire useful knowledge and skills through training courses that could be applicable in other places.
In addition, the company sells the best cooking gas that is available in hundreds of outlets across the country, thereby contributing to creating cleaner environments, thus aiding the work of EPA.
In this digital age, moving away from the traditional way of transacting business has now become the norm. As such, NP introduced the use of smart cards with which customers can procure any quantity of petroleum products easily.
“Using NP smart card makes transactions very easy and convenient for me,” Musa Koroma, an engineer informed this press.
The public’s recognition of the invaluable contributions of NP both to its numerous esteemed customers across the country and to national development has seen it bag meritorious awards from different organisations.
Owned mainly by Sierra Leoneans who established it years back the company, through its corporate social responsibility has championed various development projects just as a way of giving back to society. One main thing that is very characteristic of this petroleum entity is its effective churning out of its corporate social responsibility. It has been very supportive to other institutions by way of capacitating them. For example, late last year the company provided a water facility for the National Fire Force, Kissy Branch which cost millions of Leone. The water facility, with a standby generator, serves as a backup from which water is sourced and utilized for extinguishing fire outbreaks within the Greater Freetown metropolis.
The pro-active and sterling initiatives of NP’s Board of Directors and Management in respect of timely procurement of petroleum products and ensuring its availability on the market for public consumption, has seen a marked deviation from the days of fuel shortage to that of abundance.
It is highly commendable for a well-established and result-oriented company like NP to have climbed to such an enviable position especially when cognizance is taken of the fact that it is exclusively owned by Sierra Leonean shareholders, a typical testimony of how local entrepreneurs could raise the bar high.
