IN PRAISE OF KOMOLAFE
SALIHU MOHAMMED DANLAMI reckons that Gbenga Komolafe is making significant strides at the Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission
Since his appointment as the Commission’s Chief Executive (CCE), at the the Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) in 2021, Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, has made remarkable strides. An engineer and a lawyer, Komolafe has proven that he is a round peg in a round hole as he continues to take critical decisions to achieve the mandates of NUPRC.
He has initiated several strategic policies including electronic tracking of petroleum products distribution nationwide.
His expertise as a seasoned engineer and lawyer have no doubt been instrumental in giving the regulatory body the needed impetus to achieve its mandate.
He has vast experience in the oil and gas sector, having served in various capacities within the sector stands him out as a top professional that he is.
He was Group General Manager, Special Duties at the NNPC, Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division and Executive Director (Commercial) Pipelines and Petroleum Marketing Company (PPMC).
In addition, he was General Manager, Operations, Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF); General Manager, Operations of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), among several others.
He is an expert in institutional process study and designs to curb revenue leakages and attainment of optimum national productivity.
As Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division, he facilitated optimum revenue for the Nigerian federation and performed transparently as acknowledged by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) in its report within the period he served in office.
Also, as Executive Director, (Commercial) between 2012 and Mar 2014, he initiated strategic sales and retail plans and coordinated implementation of achievement of set revenue targets from downstream supply and distribution of refined petroleum products for nationwide consumption.
At the PEF, Komolafe initiated policies for effective petroleum products supply and bridging to the inner parts of the country and price equalisation management nationwide.
He pioneered the successful implementation of electronic tracking of petroleum products distribution nationwide.
He also successfully coordinated seamless supply of petroleum products nationwide with multiplier sectorial effect in the Nigerian economy as General Manager, Operations in the PPPRA.
Furthermore, Komolafe was Assistant General Manager (Head, Kaduna Zone), Assistant General Manager, Planning Research & Development and Branch Manager, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Warri.
All these prepared him for the great job he is currently doing at the NUPRC today.
As the CCE of NUPRC he has created the enabling environment for sustainable development of the country’s hydrocarbon resources.
He embarked on the formation of regulations which has created value for Nigeria’s hydrocarbon resources through increased productivity and revenue.
Other initiatives include, enforcing the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation (DCSO) to ensure refineries have access to Crude Oil; implementation of the advanced metering systems to track production and combat theft; Audit of Upstream Measurement Equipment and Facilities, etc.
These regulations have stimulated significant growth in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas reserves and strengthened investors confidence.
In the past four years the NUPRC under Komolafe has generated N13.017 trillion revenue for the federal government.
In addition, he also developed a template for the DCSO to ensure sufficient and uninterrupted feedstock to all local refineries to serve Nigeria’s domestic petroleum needs.
Under this leadership, the fight against oil theft has resulted in robust growth in reserves and increased revenue generation.
The CCE also established Host Communities Development Trusts (HCDTs), aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence between oil companies and local communities.
At least 137 host communities have been incorporated in the HCDT.
Similarly, Komolafe developed what is called, “HostComply,” an intelligent, digital, automated platform for reporting and monitoring HCDT activities.
He has also impacted on other key areas of operations of the NUPRC – from exploration and acreage management to hydrocarbon development, petroleum accounting, domestic crude oil supply obligations, crude oil and gas terminal operations, production surveillance, and asset integrity management, among others.
Komolafe is a man with strong values which he brings to bear on his job. He is disciplined, hardworking, creative, modest, honest and patriotic. These attributes contributed to the
the transformation that has lifted NUPRC to enviable height.
His giant strides at NUPRC made him stand him out as a patriot determined to contribute his quota in President Bola Tinubu’s agenda to transform Nigeria for the better.
With Komolafe at the helm, there is no doubt that he would continue to discharge the mandate of the NUPRC in the interest of Nigeria and to support the federal government in ensuring that the continues to derive value from the oil sector.
His stewardship is marked by dedication, transparency, sustainability, and economic growth, which has increased output and revenue growth and attracted foreign investment in the upstream petroleum sector.
Some of the bold initiatives he introduced include enforcing the DCSO; implementation of the advanced metering systems to track production and combat theft; audit of Upstream Measurement Equipment and Facilities Regulation; acquisition of advanced measurement equipment, and the Advance Cargo Declaration Regulation which tracks crude oil transportation and export from Nigeria.
Danlami writes from Abuja
