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By 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 larger energy and mobility hubs.
Mumuni Dagazau, Executive Vice President, Downstream, NNPC Limited, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the commissioning of a technology 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 take NNPC beyond traditional petrol retailing.
“We hope to deploy a significant number, probably around 50 to 70 of these types of stations within the next six months,” he said.
The smart stations are expected to combine gasoline, automotive diesel, electric vehicle charging, liquefied petroleum gas and compressed natural gas, along with other consumer services.
The Abuja station has a storage capacity of 180,000 liters of Premium Motor Spirit and 45,000 liters of Automotive Gas Oil. It has 16 PMS pumps, two AGO pumps and six electric vehicle charging points installed in collaboration with African Motor Works.
The facility is powered entirely by solar energy through a system with more than 200 kilowatts of capacity.
Other planned amenities include a quick-service restaurant, a cafe, an automated car wash and a modern vehicle service area. LPG supply is available, while methane systems and a vehicle conversion center are planned.
The station will operate 24 hours a day, allowing customers to self-dispense fuel and pay via a digital application.
Shettima Baba-Kukawa, executive director, retail operations and mobility, NNPC Limited, said customers who are unable to use the application will still receive assistance from station staff.
Dagazau said the company is also working to modernize existing stations as customer expectations and the downstream market change.
He dismissed concerns that self-service pumps would lead to job losses, saying a wider range of services would require additional staff to support automation, electric vehicle charging and other technologies.
Huub Stokman, managing director of NNPC Retail, said the transformation became 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 looking for quality products, competitive prices, faster service, digital payment options and alternative energy sources such as natural gas and electric vehicle charging.
He added that younger consumers are also demanding more sustainable services, explaining the decision to power the Abuja plant entirely with solar energy.
The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, KN Nandap, who delivered a goodwill message during the commissioning, commended the combination of conventional fuel retailing with electric mobility and other modern services.
The implementation comes as deregulation, increased local refining capacity and the growth of alternative fuels reshape Nigeria’s downstream oil market.
NNPC said its smart station program aims to reposition its retail network for this changing environment by combining traditional fuel sales with cleaner energy, digital services and consumer-centric mobility solutions.
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