From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has concluded plans to deploy between 50 and 70 smart, self-service filling stations across Nigeria within the next six months as it transforms its retail outlets into broader energy and mobility hubs.
Mumuni Dagazau, Executive Vice President, Downstream, NNPC Limited, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the commissioning of a technology-driven service station with electric vehicle charging facilities on Bill Clinton Drive, Airport Road.
Dagazau said the commissioned outlet was the first of several smart stations planned for deployment across the country, with the new model designed to move NNPC beyond conventional petrol retailing.
“We are hoping to roll out a significant number, probably about 50 to 70 of these types of stations within the next six months”, he said.
The smart stations are expected to combine petrol, automotive gas oil, electric vehicle charging, liquefied petroleum gas and compressed natural gas, alongside other consumer services.
The Abuja station has storage capacity for 180,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit and 45,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil. It has 16 PMS pumps, two AGO pumps, and six EV charging points installed in partnership with African Motor Works.
The facility is powered entirely by solar energy through a system with more than 200 kilowatts of capacity.
Other planned services include a quick-service restaurant, coffee shop, automated car wash and modern vehicle service bay. LPG dispensing is available, while CNG facilities and a vehicle conversion centre are planned.
The station will operate 24 hours, allowing customers to dispense fuel themselves and pay through a digital application.
Shettima Baba-Kukawa, Executive Director, Retail Operations and Mobility, NNPC Limited, said customers who were unable to use the application would still receive assistance from station staff.
Dagazau said the company was also working to modernise existing stations as customer expectations and the downstream market change.
He dismissed concerns that self-service pumps would lead to job losses, saying the wider range of services would require additional personnel to support automation, EV charging and other technologies.
Huub Stokman, Managing Director, NNPC Retail, said the transformation had become necessary as Nigeria’s downstream market evolved following deregulation and the expansion of domestic refining capacity, including the Dangote Refinery.
According to Stokman, consumers are increasingly seeking quality products, competitive prices, faster services, digital payment options and alternative energy sources such as CNG and electric vehicle charging.
He added that younger consumers were also demanding more sustainable services, explaining the decision to power the Abuja facility entirely with solar energy.
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, KN Nandap, who delivered a goodwill message at the commissioning, commended the combination of conventional fuel retailing with electric mobility and other modern services.
The rollout comes as deregulation, increased local refining capacity and the growth of alternative fuels reshape Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market.
NNPC said its smart-station programme is intended to reposition its retail network for this changing environment by combining traditional fuel sales with cleaner energy, digital services and consumer-focused mobility solutions.
