By Amin Kef Sesay
The National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd) is an indigenous company that has impressively translated its Mission into realities on the ground. Commendably, though it is been challenged by various constraints, yet the company is weathering the storm along the way, navigating through uncharted terrain and is steadily sailing through.
NP-SL Ltd’s Mission borders on maintaining its dominant leadership position in the local market and strive to operate at sub-regional level by assuring the supply of petroleum products in an environmentally friendly manner while offering superior value for customers, employees and other stakeholders based on a proud corporate culture with emphasis on safety consciousness, profit optimization, corporate expansion thereby contributing to national development.
When this is juxtaposed with the company’s culture which is to develop a disciplined family with an institutional culture working towards building a great company and look at how the company stands tall within the petroleum marketing landscape in this country, then we will really appreciate the truism that to succeed in whatever we do in life there must be a strong willpower.
Indisputably, with a strong willpower to become a giant company not only in this country but also within the West Africa sub-region dating back over fifty years ago indeed requires ingenuity, selflessness and dedication.
Now let us dissect the Mission Statement of NP-SL Ltd and admire at how it has been effectively rolled out over the years. The first aspect, which has to do with: “maintaining their dominant leadership position in the local market and strive to operate at sub-regional level.” Save only for spinners, but for the vast majority they will attest with all amount of certainty that the petroleum marketing company, which is wholly owned by Sierra Leoneans, has indeed become the towering petroleum marketing company in this country. It could be recalled that there had been different petroleum companies that have operated here in this country but they have either folded up or decided not to continue their operations in the country for different reasons. NP-SL is second to none in this country when it comes to the importation and marketing of different petroleum products in this country.
After establishing a strong foothold on the business landscape of this country, the Shareholders of the company then decided to extend by opening branches in neighbouring Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and The Gambia. In all these countries, the company states of the art Filling Stations are located in different parts offering qualitative service delivery to their esteemed customers. This is a true manifestation of the dogged and selfless efforts on the part of the owners of the company to do what they have actually stated that they will do.
In terms of offering superior value for customers, employees and other stakeholders the company has been doing so with utmost efficiency. It is against such a backdrop that the company always outsources its fuels from the world’s leading oil refineries where the business entity’s fuels go through stringent tests and quality control in major internationally approved European laboratories.
The main products the company markets are: Petrol also known as Octane which has earned the reputation of extending the life of motor vehicles whilst at the same time protecting them from extensive damages. There is also Diesel of high quality which is recommended for all kinds of diesels engines.
For the Kerosene the company sells, owing to its purity it is recommended for domestic use as in petroleum lamps and for domestic cooking.
NP also markets Fuel Oil of various kinds and they are of the highest standard which is suitable for all engines needing fuel oil. Besides, the company sells a stock of a wide range of lubricants and greases of BP, Castrol and AGIP brands. Today, Castrol is the widely used lubricant in the country and many have attested that it is indeed very good for effective performance of vehicles, various industrial machines as well as generators. The company as well provides special products for vehicles such as coolants, dashboard cleaners etc.
In the area of putting emphasis on safety consciousness, the company does not take it light which is why at all their Filling Stations safety guidelines are placed where they could be easily seen by anyone accessing them. They include no smoking, switching off mobile phones, to switch off vehicle engines while fuel is been pumped into a tank among a host of others. As a matter of fact there are always fire extinguishers around to be used in any emergency fire incident.
From all that have been said, it could be apparently seen that NP-SL Ltd is a “talk and do” company. From a Mission Statement that dates back decades ago to this material period of time and seeing the preciseness of the rolling out of everything contained in it then it will be said, with every justification, that the company is a very progressive one.
