NNPC Smart Stations to Reach 70 Sites Nationwide

NNPC smart stations are set to expand across Nigeria, with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited planning to deploy between 50 and 70 facilities within the next six months.

The initiative forms part of NNPC Ltd.’s plan to turn traditional filling stations into modern energy and mobility hubs that offer several services in one location.

Speaking in Abuja yesterday at the commissioning of a technology-driven smart station, NNPC Ltd.’s Executive Vice President, Downstream, Engr. Mumuni Dagazau, said the facility represented the first of several stations planned across the country.

“We are hoping to roll out a significant number, probably about 50 to 70 of these types of stations within the next six months. So this is what you’ll be seeing going forward from NNPCL.

“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.

The new model will combine petrol, electricity and gas, while giving customers the option to dispense fuel themselves, including during night hours. Services will also include electric vehicle (EV) charging, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), compressed natural gas (CNG), car washing and food services.

Dagazau rejected concerns that self-service operations could reduce employment. He said attendants and other staff would remain available to support customers and manage the technology used at the stations.

“What NNPC does is create jobs. What this does is create jobs. You have an energy hub today. If you look at the average filling station and you look at the energy hub, you will find more people in the energy hub than you will find in the filling stations,” Dagazau said.

He added that the new facilities would need workers to manage automation, EV charging and other services.

The Abuja station has fast EV chargers that can charge a vehicle in roughly 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the vehicle and its battery level.

Dagazau also said NNPC planned to modernise its existing stations as part of the wider transformation of NNPC Retail.

“We are going to modernise our stations. The customer deserves a better quality of service and we are delivering that quality of service,” he said.

Additional smart stations are planned for Abuja and Kano, with NNPC expecting to deploy a substantial number nationwide over the next six months.

The Executive Director, Retail Operations and Mobility at NNPC Ltd., Mr Shettima Baba-Kukawa, provided further details about the Abuja facility. The station has a storage capacity of 180,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and 45,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).

It has 16 PMS pumps and two AGO pumps, while six EV charging points have been installed through a partnership with African Motorukawa said NNPC was developing the site as a broader lifestyle and mobility hub. Plans include a quick-service restaurant, coffee shop, automated Works.

The facility runs entirely on solar power through a system with capacity exceeding 200 kilowatts.

Baba-Kukawa said NNPC was developing the site as a broader lifestyle and mobility hub. Plans include a quick-service restaurant, coffee shop, automated car wash and modern service bay.

The station will also offer LPG dispensing, while NNPC plans to add CNG and a CNG conversion centre.

“The station is going to run 24 hours. And it is fully self-service. So for customers that want to trust themselves and dispense themselves, they can actually do that. Transactions are done on their phone app and concluded by dispensing the exact amount of fuel they purchased into their tanks,” he said.

Customers using the self-service system will need to download the NNPC Retail app, create and fund a wallet, and generate a code that authorises them to dispense the quantity of fuel they have purchased.

However, customers who are unable to use the digital system will still receive assistance from station staff.

NNPC Retail Managing Director Huub Stokman said the changes had become necessary as Nigeria’s downstream petroleum industry continued to evolve following deregulation and the start of operations at the Dangote Refinery.

He said consumers now expected quality products, competitive prices, quicker service and additional offerings from retail outlets.

Customers are also increasingly seeking new energy options such as EV charging and CNG, alongside digital payment methods and more sustainable operations.

“Above all, especially the younger generation, they want us to deliver it in a sustainable way, hence the fact that you also see that this station is completely solar-powered,” Stokman said.

He said NNPC Retail would continue investing in technology, partnerships and new energy solutions to meet changing customer expectations.

With the planned expansion of NNPC smart stations, the company is positioning its retail network as more than a traditional fuel distribution system, combining energy services, mobility solutions and digital technology in a single location.

What impact could NNPC’s smart energy stations have on Nigeria’s changing transport and fuel market?