DPR Automates Downstream Operations for Economic Growth

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The digitisation initiative for downstream operations under the Automated Downstream System (ADS) programme has been launched by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

The ADS is in line with DPR’s alignment with government’s ease of doing business policy which is geared towards economic growth.

According to a statement issued by the agency, the digitisation initiative was designed to improve overall efficiency and accelerate its downstream regulatory performance by reducing application processing time, enhance transparency, provide platform for accurate downstream statistics, integrate with other stakeholders for document verification purposes and improve revenue collection.

The initiative comprises Retail Outlet Monitoring (ROMS) license for kerosene peddlers, retail stations and industrial consumers; Import/Export Permit (IMPEX) for petroleum products; Coastal Vessel Licence (CVL); Lube Oil Blending Plant Licence (LOBL); Depot Licence (DL); and Refining Processing Licence (RPL).

“These digitisation initiatives of the DPR are integrated into the Corporate Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) application system which is the platform for our business system automation,” the statement said.

It was stated that with the automated downstream system in place, the DPR no longer accepts manual processing of downstream applications as all applications for license and permits have been migrated to digital platforms.

In view of this development, applicants are advised to visit the Electronic License and Permit System (ELPS) portal on www.dpr.gov.ng to key into the system.

They are required to create a company account by completing the corporate profile; apply for license or permit required; pay application fee online or through bank branches nationwide; upload the required documents in PDF or TIFF file format; review and submit application for processing; and wait for the issuance of licence or permit by the DPR.

In the statement issued on Friday, the agency said it has also introduced the Smart Inspector solution to ease technical inspection, real-time data gathering and monitoring of oil and gas facilities to ensure safety and regulatory compliance.

Concluding, the statement said, “DPR will continue to provide robust regulatory oversight for the oil and gas industry in Nigeria in furtherance of its vision to be a leading regulator in the global oil and gas space.”