Stations to offer petrol, EV charging, LPG, CNG and other mobility services
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has announced plans to deploy between 50 and 70 smart, self-service filling stations across Nigeria within the next six months.
The initiative is part of the company’s plan to transform its conventional retail outlets into modern energy and mobility hubs offering petrol, electric vehicle charging, liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas and other services.
The Executive Vice President, Downstream, NNPC Limited, Mumuni Dagazau, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the commissioning of a technology-driven service station with an electric vehicle charging facility along Bill Clinton Drive, Airport Road.
Dagazau described the newly commissioned facility as the first of several smart stations planned for rollout across the country.
He said the new concept would move NNPC’s retail business beyond conventional fuel sales by bringing multiple energy and mobility services together at one location.
“This is the first of many smart stations that we are going to have around the country. What the whole concept is, we are trying to turn from a filling station to an energy hub,” he said.
Dagazau said NNPC was targeting between 50 and 70 such facilities within the next six months.
Stations to Operate 24 Hours
The new stations will allow customers to dispense petrol themselves, including at night, using digital payment systems.
However, Dagazau said attendants would remain available to assist customers who require help.
The Abuja facility will operate round the clock and is equipped with technology that allows customers to purchase fuel through a mobile application before dispensing the exact quantity purchased into their vehicles.
NNPC Dismisses Job Loss Concerns
Dagazau also dismissed concerns that self-service technology could lead to job losses.
According to him, the smart-station model will create new employment opportunities because additional personnel will be required to support automation, electric vehicle charging and other services.
He said the objective was not to eliminate workers but to improve service delivery and customer convenience.
“Somebody has to support the integration. Somebody has to support the automation. The EVs, we have to be here to support people,” he said.
Abuja Station Has 180,000-Litre PMS Capacity
The Executive Director, Retail Operations and Mobility, NNPC Limited, Shettima Baba-Kukawa, said the Abuja station has a storage capacity of 180,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit and 45,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil.
The facility has 16 PMS pumps, two AGO pumps and six electric vehicle charging points installed in partnership with African Motor Works.
It is powered entirely by solar energy through a system with a capacity of more than 200 kilowatts.
Baba-Kukawa said the station would also feature a quick-service restaurant, coffee shop, automated car wash, modern service bay and LPG dispensing facilities.
He added that CNG and a vehicle conversion centre were also planned.
NNPC Plans Nationwide Modernisation
Dagazau said NNPC had also begun plans to modernise its existing stations as the company responds to changing customer expectations.
He said customers now demand better quality, convenience and faster service, making the modernisation of NNPC’s retail network necessary.
According to him, the company hopes that most of its stations will eventually adopt the new model, although the pace of conversion will depend on customer demand and the level of investment required.
Retail Business Adapting to New Energy Market
The Managing Director of NNPC Retail, Huub Stokman, said the transformation was necessary as Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector continues to evolve following deregulation and increased domestic refining capacity.
He said consumers were increasingly demanding quality products, competitive prices, faster services, digital payment options and alternative energy solutions such as electric vehicle charging and CNG.
Stokman also highlighted the solar-powered nature of the new facility as part of NNPC’s push towards more sustainable energy solutions.
At the commissioning, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nanna Nandap, commended NNPC for combining conventional fuel retailing with electric vehicle charging and other technology-driven services.
She said such investments could support employment, skills development and industrial growth.
The smart-station rollout comes as Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector undergoes major changes, with deregulation, increased local refining capacity and the emergence of alternative fuels reshaping the way petroleum products are sold and consumed.
NNPC said the initiative was designed to position its retail network for the changing energy market by combining conventional fuel sales with cleaner energy, digital services and other customer-focused offerings.
