NNPC Unveils Plan For 70 Smart Fuel Stations Across Nigeria

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is set to introduce between 50 and 70 smart self-service filling stations across Nigeria within the next six months.

The company said the new stations would allow motorists to buy petrol and other forms of energy while also accessing services such as electric vehicle charging, gas dispensing, car washing and vehicle servicing.

The Executive Vice President, Downstream, NNPC Ltd., Dr Mumuni Dagazau, disclosed this on Thursday while speaking at the commissioning of NNPC Retail Ltd.’s smart mega fuelling station in Abuja.

The station is located along Bill Clinton Drive, Airport Road, between the Flight Training School and the Nigerian Immigration Service Headquarters, Naija News reports.

Dagazau said the Abuja station was the first of several facilities planned under the new model.

He said about four or five more would be established in Abuja, while two others would be inaugurated in Kano.

“We are hoping to roll out a significant number, between 50 and 70 of these types of stations within the next six months.

“So, this is what you’ll be seeing going forward from NNPC.

“I think the most important thing for us is the customer’s wants. It is a centre where you can access different forms of energy, including EV, electricity, gas and petrol.

“So, we are turning from a filling station to an energy hub,” he said.

The new facility has a 180,000-litre storage capacity for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and 45,000 litres for Automotive Gas Oil (AGO). It also has 16 PMS pumps and two AGO dispensing pumps, Naija News reports.

The station allows customers to dispense fuel themselves and make payments through the NNPC Retail mobile application.

It also provides electric vehicle charging, gas dispensing, automated car wash and vehicle servicing.

Dagazau said the stations would offer Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), lubricants and other services.

He said customers would be able to use the facilities at any time, including at night.

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

Dagazau said the introduction of self-service facilities would not mean that workers would lose their jobs.

According to him, personnel would still be needed to assist customers, manage the automated systems, support EV charging and handle other services at the stations.

“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.

“The difference is in how we deliver services to customers. The guarantee and comfort of the customer are what we are after,” he said.

He said customers would need the NNPC Retail application to use the self-service facility, adding that the app was free to download.

However, customers who are unable to use the application would be assisted by workers at the station.

Dagazau said NNPC would also upgrade some of its existing filling stations as part of the modernization programme.

He said new smart stations would be built in locations where there was enough customer demand.

The Abuja facility is powered by a 200-kilowatt-hour solar system, with Dagazau saying NNPC was considering the wider use of renewable energy across its retail network.

He said the company could no longer ignore changes in technology and customer expectations.

“We cannot ignore innovation and technology and leave our stations the way they have always been. In the next few years, most NNPC stations will look like this,” he said.

Dagazau also disclosed that plans were underway to establish CNG conversion facilities at some of the smart stations.

He said the facilities would allow motorists to convert their vehicles to CNG while also accessing other services at the stations.