Mr. Huub Stokman, MEMAN Chairman and MD NNPC Retail Services
…Operators to adhere to regulations
…Country needs a healthy downstream industry
-Felix Douglas
At the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES), stakeholders emphasized on the country’s downstream sector which has been distracted due to avalanche issues regarding regulations and other matters. This has brought the sector to the spotlight between operators and the public.
Buttressing his points at a panel session on downstream, the Chairman of Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) and Managing Director of NNPC Retail Services, Mr. Huub Stokman, said the downstream should focus on consumers.
Stokman believed that there will be no progress in the downstream if consumers are not given desired priority. “You will not do any downstream business, if you don’t take the consumer or customer first; it must be a customer led business.”
According to the MEMAN boss, it is unfortunate that there is no general public trust in the downstream industry which is not palatable for its players.
MEMAN advocates for quality and control of its members because “it’s important that there’s trust and you get what you pay for.”
From a quality point of view, there is confidence without compromise.
Although there’s still lot of work to do to gain trust of the consumer in terms of what they get, marketers should not shy away from their responsibility rather work together as an industry to make it better.
The NNPC Retail Services MD was of the view that another missing point is no real data transparency. “It’s important as an industry and a business that you know what you do if there’s transparency of data and what is produced, loaded and sold in real time.”
Reliability of data creates confidence. Confidence brings willingness to invest with new innovation.
One of the challenges in the downstream industry is inability to publish real time data which will create clarity of what is done in the industry.
It gives opportunity to people to investigate and protect the consumers, Stokman added.
There should be fair competition with clear regulation and operators adhere to rules.
The regulator should make sure everybody adheres to rules as a referee watches everybody on the playing field.
Stokman called for a healthy downstream industry which is good for the country. “We need to realize that if the downstream industry is not healthy, it doesn’t create value and the country suffers.”
On the aspect of energy transition, the MEMAN Chairman said consumers want choice. They want good customer service and price with ability to change choice of energy sources. Consumers demand should not be underestimated because it changes.
“We need to key into transparency of how we run the industry to create a lot of value.”
Stokman said the downstream needs to create resilience, competition and transparent industry with clear rules. “This is not an easy task, but if you are the one that indeed regulates the industry, do it with trust, wisely, fairly, ensuring it’s in the interest of consumers and Nigerians at large.”
Industry players are looking forward at the new referee making sure every operator plays along the game.
“Let’s share data and creates trust with confidence in the industry.”
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