Abba Gana: Distinguished Corporate Chieftain
Umar Abba Gana, managing director and chief executive officer, African Petroleum [AP] Plc is a quiet achiever. He has been at the helm of affairs of the company for the past 7 years. Within this time, he had ensured that the company has maintained its leadership position in the oil field marketing sub-sector of the Nigerian economy thus living up to its motto of "leadership through quality."
AP under Abba Gana lays premium on "excelling with premium quality products while emphasizing maximum customer satisfaction. And that's why for over 30 years, we have been producing high quality petroleum products that meet international standards." The company continually innovates and updates its products to meet the ever-changing needs of the consumers and to maintain its leadership position I the industry. For instance, in response to distilled information from a customer's opinion survey in 1996, AP re-launched two of its premium products, Super V and Visco 2000. The products re-launch involved "supergrading" of the two products to satisfy the tough demands of the Nigerian motor industry by protecting vehicle engines against wear, rust and corrosion. It also ensures improved engine cleanliness and deposit control, enhanced power output, extended services, fuel economy, low maintenance costs and low emission controls.
The two products were also repackaged with double seal tamper-proof caps and ink jet-coding to prevent adulteration, imitation and racketeering. Recently too, the company rehabilitated is Apapa plants and refurbished its gas stations in order to provide a more conducive and convenient environment to serve is customers.
Its efforts has paid off financially. For the full year ended 1996, AP had a turnover of N13.52 billion and profit after tax of N580 million. Although its 1998 report is not out now, Gana revealed that as at half year it had achieved a profit before tax of N350 million when its major competitors were declaring losses given the difficult operating environment.
Gana states that "the last one year has been extremely difficult owing to low margins and scarcity of petroleum products. Right now, we are not advocating increase in prices but we are advocating an increase in margins with the operating cost. With the 60 kobo net margin maintained for now, oil marketers have been operating at a loss if we discount inflation." Gana sees the 1998 budget as offering little to oil marketers, with the only gain as the cancellation of excise duty which hitherto had been very low for them. On privatisation of refineries, he says, "either you give them more money [to function properly] or you privatise them."
Since AP's board of directors was dissolved in 1996, the responsibilities for policy formulation and execution has evolved on Abba Gana ad the two executive directors, who have continued to push the company to greater heights. He believes in a participatory management style where you lead by example. He emphasises openness and communication in managing the company to earn and retain the confidence of staff and motivating them to higher productivity. He believes strongly in the country, company, and staff. He tries to communicate the fact that the company has a commercial and public responsibility to deliver.
Abba Gana was a member of Vision 2010 committee. It is a reflection of government's and the country's recognition of his sterling qualities as a manager of one of the nation's well performing oil firms quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
Newswatch June 29, 1998
" Newswatch 1998