One thing men of clout have in common is their taciturnity. Most goal getters do their thing without blowing the rooftop with praise singing. No sector in Nigeria suffers the syndrome of ‘empty drums making the loudest noise’ more than the public sector. Mr. Shakur on assumption as the boss in the acting capacity has made impeccable policies and programmes aimed at adding values by all members of staff of the Department, truly speaking it is a fresh air at the Department, one can call it‘ a dawn of the new innovative era’ . ’The face of the DPR has improved greatly under the steerage of Mr. Ahmad Rufai Shakur. ‘DPR has enhanced its regulatory feats to network with captains of industry, decision makers and as the stakeholders are now in tandem with the new boss at the helm of the apex petroleum agency. The FGN’s revenue targets given to some MDAs which DPR inclusive will be met based on sincerity of the purpose Shakur has brought to bear in discharge of enormous responsibilities as his recent visit to the relevant stakeholders in oil and gas is highly exemplary. When the right person is given an opportunity to serve, what we all expect is result- oriented actualisation in order to achieve the mission and vision upon which the agency was established.
Today, it is a new DPR under the watch of Shakur as director who emphasises on effectiveness, transparency and accountability in oil and gas production and crude export data base. “We want to do it and do it right, in the new spirit of DPR. Those who know Shakur can attest to his goal getting attitude and veracity, hence the federal government should be rest assured due to his ingenuity and technical know-how he has shown within the shortest time at the helm of affairs. .
Immediately after his appointment, Mr. Shakur said that the agency is currently working towards reducing barriers to entry, regulatory transaction cost while enhancing collaborative endeavors as necessary ingredients for creating conducive business environment. This goes a long way to show-case the director’s preparedness to take the agency to its rightful place in the oil and gas industry. The recent intensification of surveillance by the agency shows how serious Shakur and his dynamic team can go in optimizing robustness of the regulatory framework for development and growth of the midstream as an enabler of incremental GDP contribution from the oil and gas industry. And that Nigerian government, in line with its transparency, initiated the Executive Order 001 Ease of Doing Business and the “7 Big wins” policy by President Muhammadu Buhari is ultimate.
Also, the new director’s strategy of reducing approval cycle, entry barriers and regulatory transaction costs as necessary ingredients for creating conducive business environment is the right foot forward.
“It is in realisation of these critical deliverables, that a holistic automation process, through information technology and infrastructure deployment to enhance global competitiveness of the Nigerian oil and gas industry were put in place.
“To this end, we are focusing on petrochemicals, refining and infrastructure to support gas for power and manufacturing. And its full commercialization for the purpose it is meant for to serve the nation’’
“We are also working to incentivize deep play exploration to enhance our reserves growth. We will continue to automate our processes and drive efficiency gains. This annual event plays a critical role in highlighting and promoting Africa’s huge oil and gas resource potential to the world,” he said.
The DPR boss said NOG provides the platform that brings together stakeholders in public and private sectors, captains of industry, professionals, key decision makers and influencers with strategic knowledge of the oil and gas value chain. He said it also provides an avenue to meet, share knowledge, exchange ideas, gain insight, discuss emerging industry issues and proffer solutions. Lessons learnt from this gathering are applicable in the operating environment. The theme of this year’s conference is: “Driving Nigeria’s oil and gas industry towards sustained economic development and growth’.
Judging from the director’s robust knowledge and technical know-how in the oil and gas industry, one can safely say that under Shakur’s watch, the DPR would certainly witness a monumental turnaround for optimal performance and generate a lot of revenue for the FGN. Shakur’s drive to deliver is demonstrated by his robust base in the regulatory arm of oil and gas as panacea to take DPR to an enviable height.
The acting director is a graduate of the Ahmadu Bello University with a Master of Business Administration degree. Shakur held various positions across the value chain of the DPR from the zonal offices to headquarter and had attended numerous management and leadership courses locally and internationally, these include notable institutions like the Columbia Business School, New York USA and Wharton Business School, Pennsylvania, USA. He also embodied with renowned past records in strategic leadership, corporate governance and optimal performance among others.
A strong believer in the Nigerian project, Shakur has achieved and accomplished remarkable feats in every responsibility held in the oil and gas sector of the nation’s economy. Following his appointment, Shakur enjoined all members of staff, the stakeholders inclusive, to redefine DPR’s concept, ideas and structures with astute enthusiasm. Truly, Shakur, the new acting director DPR has all it takes to succeed due to his robust experience in the regulatory arm of the oil and gas sector.
Shakur, who was the deputy director, Corporate Services, prior to this appointment, combines exceptional intellect and the vision upon which the DPR was established in the early 50s. The main objective for establishing the DPR is to regulate the oil and gas industry in Nigeria through several activities. These include enforcing all laws involving the oil and gas, implementing government policies and programmes, timely collection of royalties, rents and other regulated fees on behalf of the federal government without hurdle. It is also charged with the monitoring of government indigenization policy to ensure that the local content policy is achieved.
Eibo, media and communications specialist, writes via [email protected].
