NNPC Plans 70 Smart Fuel Stations Nationwide
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has announced plans to establish between 50 and 70 smart self-service fuelling stations across Nigeria within the next six months.
The company’s Executive Vice President, Downstream, Dr Mumuni Dagazau, disclosed this on Thursday during the commissioning of an NNPC Retail smart mega fuelling station along Bill Clinton Drive, Airport Road, Abuja.
The newly commissioned facility, powered by a 200-kilowatt-hour solar system, is designed to operate as an integrated energy hub, offering motorists access to petrol, gas, electric vehicle (EV) charging and other services.
The station has a storage capacity of 180,000 litres for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and 45,000 litres for Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), with 16 PMS dispensing pumps and two AGO pumps.
It also features self-service fuel dispensing, EV charging points, gas dispensing, an automated car wash and vehicle servicing facilities.
Dagazau said the development formed part of NNPC’s plan to transform conventional filling stations into modern energy hubs that provide multiple services to customers in one location.
He said the Abuja facility was the first in a series of smart stations planned for different parts of the country, adding that four or five more would be established in Abuja, while two others were planned for Kano.
“We are hoping to roll out a significant number, between 50 and 70 of these types of stations within the next six months,” he said.
According to him, the initiative is being driven by changing customer needs, technological advancement and the need to provide motorists with convenient access to different forms of energy.
Dagazau explained that customers would be able to use the NNPC Retail mobile application to access the self-service facilities and make payments.
He added that the stations would be available for customers to use at any time, including at night, allowing them to dispense fuel themselves or recharge their electric vehicles.
The EVP said the facility’s fast EV chargers could fully recharge a vehicle within 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the type of vehicle and the level of charge in its battery.
He disclosed that the smart stations would also provide Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), lubricant services, automated car wash and other customer-focused services.
Dagazau said NNPC would modernise some of its existing stations under the programme, while new smart facilities would be established in locations where customer demand justified their development.
He dismissed concerns that automation would lead to job losses, explaining that personnel would still be required to assist customers, operate the facilities and support services such as EV charging and automation.
“What we are doing is creating jobs. Somebody has to support the integration and automation, while personnel are also needed to support customers using the EV facilities,” he said.
He added that customers who were unable to operate the NNPC Retail application would receive assistance from station personnel.
Dagazau also said the company was considering greater use of renewable energy across its retail network, noting that the Abuja smart station was powered by solar energy.
He said the new model reflected NNPC’s commitment to innovation and technology, stressing that the company could no longer continue operating its retail outlets in the traditional manner.
He further disclosed that plans were underway to introduce CNG conversion facilities at some of the smart stations, enabling motorists to convert their vehicles while accessing other services at the same location.
