1. Digital Competencies in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
Introduction
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was established in 1977 as the state oil
corporation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. NNPC currently have about 7,000 staff working
across 5 Autonomous Business Units (ABU), 2 Corporate Services Units (CSU) and more than
20 Strategic Business Units (SBU). The Corporation is a major backbone of the Nigerian
economy as it is responsible for about 90% of Government’s foreign exchange earnings. The
organization is currently going through a major transformation from a statutory agency of
government to a private limited liability company. The issue of digital competencies within
NNPC in more important now than ever as the corporation strives to match up with other
world class companies.
Current state of digital competencies in NNPC with identified gaps
The table below summarizes my assessment of the current state of digital competencies in NNPC
based on my observation, interaction with management staff and 9 years work experience in
the organization. I will also use a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 as the worst case and 10 the best case.
S/N Digital Competencies Current State
1. Clear vision of technology wave Adequate - 8
2. Ability to integrate the operation in short term
with a long-term vision
There is room for improvement. Some
decisions are made without thoughtful
consideration for long term impact. 4
3. Distinguish between current process and
products, and how to evolve them into a new
era of digital economy.
There is room for improvement. Most of this
task is delegated only to the IT division. 5
4. Ability to evaluate the transformation cost and
define how to guide the organization within
the new types of markets, customers, and
interactions.
There is room for improvement. Even if the
business leaders have this ability, the impact is
not felt or seen by subordinates. 4
5. Clear precise measurements of scale, scope,
timing, and speed.
There is room for improvement. There is a
department under Corporate Planning and
Strategy handling this metric but again the
results are not well felt. 5
6. Digital route presentation and evaluation of
the cost benefit of different technologies.
Room for improvement. Thorough evaluation
of cost benefit is lacking. 4
7. Design, integration and analysis, and strategic
use of data management.
Much room for improvement. Data
management is still poor leading to sub-optimal
decision making. 3
8. Preparation for data integration and new
technologies.
On track. Effort currently ongoing for data
integration and new technologies. 7
9. Ability to design the organization of the
future.
Room for improvement. The company is still
struggling to adapt to current technologies. 5
10. Interaction with intelligent societies and cities. Much room for improvement. The country
cannot boast of intelligent cities yet as the rate
of development is low. 2
11. Soft competencies Adequate - 8
2. Desired state and how to develop digital competencies for NNPC
In my opinion, these are what the desired state for NNPC should be.
S/N Digital Competencies Desired State
1. Clear vision of technology wave Vision clearly understood and supported by all
staff and not just known to management alone.
2. Ability to integrate the operation in short term
with a long-term vision
All short-term decision made with adequate
thought on impact on long term business
vision.
3. Distinguish between current process and
products, and how to evolve them into a new
era of digital economy.
A company known for its digital culture where
every employee is digitally aware and can
transform current processes to be compatible
with the digital economy.
4. Ability to evaluate the transformation cost and
define how to guide the organization within
the new types of markets, customers, and
interactions.
A dedicated cost group with specialized skill in
costing and communication strategy.
5. Clear precise measurements of scale, scope,
timing, and speed.
A well equipped and adequately resourced
Transformation Unit with visible impact and
solid digital transformation strategy.
6. Digital route presentation and evaluation of
the cost benefit of different technologies.
A dedicated cost group with specialized skill in
costing and communication strategy.
7. Design, integration and analysis, and strategic
use of data management.
A company where every business decision is
data driven and has one single source of truth.
8. Preparation for data integration and new
technologies.
A company with fully integrated and well
managed data that can take advantage of new
technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.
9. Ability to design the organization of the
future.
A future ready organization that adopts new
technology seamlessly.
10. Interaction with intelligent societies and cities. A company that can understand and respond
to the needs of an intelligent society in good
time.
11. Soft competencies A company where the importance of soft skills
is well demonstrated and emphasized.
Benefits of possessing digital competencies in NNPC
Some of the benefits of possessing digital competencies in NNPC include:
i. Competitive advantage: Possession of superior digital competencies will give NNPC an
edge over the competition in the marketplace.
ii. Enhanced productivity: Staff productivity will be remarkably higher for staff with digital
competencies compared to those who are lagging in the acquisition of such skills.
iii. Optimized business performance: Effective deployment of digital competencies will
produce optimized business performance.
iv. Foster innovation: Digital competencies is a core requirement for innovation and those
that possess it are more likely to be more innovative than those who do not have it.
v. Business survival: Ultimately, a business that fails to ensure that its employee possess
digital competencies will at some point cease to exist due to inability to compete in a
digital economy.
