How Digital Invoicing is Improving Efficiency and Accountability at NUPRC
Adedoyin Ibosiola, Team Lead, Finance, Planning, and Administration, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
Strong institutions depend on the right leaders, but those leaders also need to work within efficient systems to perform effectively.
This is the shift the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) made to its invoicing process. Through the E-Invoicing Project, led by Adedoyin Ibosiola, an Aig-Imoukhuede Public Leaders Programme (PLP) alumna, the process that once took several days now takes 24 to 48 hours.
Invoicing may seem like a routine administrative task, but for the National Data Repository of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), efficient invoicing ensures that amounts due from operators are accurately raised, tracked and followed through to payment.
However, the process relied heavily on manual work, which led to delays, errors and limited visibility into what was outstanding. The National Data Repository of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) recognised this gap and embarked on the E-Invoicing Project to rebuild the process. Led by Adedoyin Ibosiola, Team Lead, Finance, Planning, and Administration and a Cohort 3 alumna of the Aig-Imoukhuede Public Leaders Programme, the project introduced a digitised invoicing system to replace the fragmented, paper-based workflow.
What followed was a significant reduction in invoice processing time, from several days to 24–48 hours, with near-complete visibility into issued and outstanding invoices, stronger payment tracking and accountability, and a substantial reduction in human error.
Reflecting on what made the project work, Adedoyin noted that “Pilot testing is critical because it helps identify and fix issues before full rollout. Proper user training and support are equally important to ensure successful adoption." Her advice for institutions pursuing similar change is to start with a small pilot, engage stakeholders early, and maintain clear communication throughout the process.
The next phase of the E-Invoicing Project is to automate the onward transmission of generated invoices directly to operators, further reducing manual intervention and improving the speed and efficiency of invoice delivery.
Meaningful reform happens when public sector leaders are equipped with the capacity to identify what is not working, rethink existing systems and lead change from within their institutions. NUPRC’s move from a manual invoicing process to a digital system is one example of what this can look like in practice.