By Stephen Simon
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has announced plans to deploy between 50 and 70 smart, self-service filling stations across Nigeria within the next six months, following the commissioning of its first technology-driven facility in Abuja.
The pilot station, developed by NNPC Retail Limited in partnership with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), was commissioned on Thursday along Bill Clinton Drive, Airport Road, Abuja, as part of efforts to transform conventional filling stations into modern energy and mobility hubs.
NNPC Ltd.’s Executive Vice President, Downstream, Mumuni Dagazau, said the initiative was designed to improve convenience, operational efficiency and customer experience while providing motorists with multiple energy and mobility services at a single location.
The 24-hour facility allows customers to pay through the NNPC Retail mobile application and dispense the exact quantity of fuel purchased themselves. It has 16 Premium Motor Spirit pumps and two Automotive Gas Oil pumps, with storage capacity of 180,000 litres of PMS and 45,000 litres of AGO.
Beyond conventional fuel sales, the station features electric vehicle charging facilities, LPG dispensing, a lubricant service bay, automated car wash and other lifestyle services, while provision has been made for the future introduction of Compressed Natural Gas infrastructure. The facility is powered entirely by more than 200 kilowatts of installed solar capacity.
Managing Director of NNPC Retail, Huub Stokman, said the development was a response to changing consumer expectations in the downstream petroleum sector, particularly following deregulation and the commencement of operations at the Dangote Refinery. He said customers increasingly wanted quality products, competitive prices, faster services, convenient payment options and access to alternative energy solutions.
The station also has six-point electric vehicle charging infrastructure deployed in partnership with Africa Motor Works. The EV charging service costs N400 per kilowatt-hour, with a full recharge requiring up to 40 kilowatt-hours depending on the vehicle.
Dagazau dismissed concerns that self-service stations would result in job losses, saying the new model would create employment opportunities around automation, EV services and the wider energy-hub operations. He said the objective was to improve the way services were delivered to customers rather than eliminate workers.
NNPC Retail said the smart-station model would be replicated across the country through partnerships with government agencies and private organisations, signalling a broader shift from traditional petrol stations to integrated energy, mobility and lifestyle centres.
