The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has commissioned its first technology-driven smart self-service filling station in Abuja, as the company plans to deploy between 50 and 70 similar facilities across Nigeria within the next six months.
The facility, located at the headquarters of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) in Abuja, is designed to transform conventional filling stations into integrated energy and mobility hubs offering a wider range of services to motorists.
Speaking with journalists after the commissioning, NNPC’s Executive Vice President, Downstream, Mumuni Dagazau, said the Abuja facility was the first of several smart stations planned by the company.
According to him, NNPC intends to move beyond the traditional model of filling stations by incorporating multiple energy and mobility services.
“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,” Dagazau said.
He disclosed that about four or five similar facilities were planned for Abuja, while two others were being launched in Kano.
“We’re 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 NNPC,” he added.
Station Offers Petrol, Diesel, EV Charging
The newly commissioned facility has a 180,000-litre storage capacity for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and 45,000-litre capacity for Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
It is equipped with 16 petrol pumps and two diesel pumps, as well as six electric vehicle charging points.
Other facilities at the station include an automated car wash, lubricant service bay and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) facilities.
Dagazau said plans were also underway to introduce Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) services and a CNG vehicle conversion centre at the facility.
The station is powered by a solar energy system with a capacity of more than 200 kilowatt-hours and is designed to operate around the clock.
Customers to Dispense Fuel Themselves
The NNPC executive explained that the self-service model would allow customers to pay digitally and dispense the exact quantity of fuel purchased without necessarily requiring assistance from an attendant.
He said customers would be able to fund a digital wallet through the NNPC mobile application, generate a transaction code and use it to dispense fuel.
However, he stressed that attendants would remain available to assist customers who were unfamiliar with the technology or required help.
Dagazau also dismissed concerns that automation could result in job losses, saying the broader range of services provided by the smart stations would generate additional employment opportunities.
“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’ll find more people in the energy hub than you’ll find in the filling stations,” he said.
He explained that additional personnel would be needed to operate and support the electric vehicle charging facilities, automated services and other components of the energy hubs.
EVs Can Charge in 30 to 40 Minutes
On electric vehicle charging, Dagazau said the facility had been equipped with fast chargers capable of charging a vehicle from about 20 per cent to full capacity in approximately 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the vehicle.
He said the company’s modernisation programme would cover both the upgrading of existing stations and the development of new facilities.
According to him, the initiative was driven by changing customer expectations and the need to provide better-quality services.
“We’re going to modernise our stations. Our modernisation is a demand from what the customer wants. The customer deserves a better quality of service and we are delivering that quality of service,” he said.
NNPC Retail Targets Changing Consumer Needs
Earlier, the Managing Director of NNPC Retail Limited, Huub Stockman, said Nigeria’s downstream petroleum industry was undergoing significant changes following full deregulation and the commencement of operations at the Dangote refinery.
Stockman said customers were increasingly demanding quality products, accurate quantity, competitive prices, faster services and convenient digital payment options.
He noted that modern filling stations were also expected to provide additional services such as restaurants, convenience stores, coffee shops, banking services, car washes and alternative energy solutions.
He said NNPC Retail was committed to responding to those changing expectations by providing more convenient and sustainable energy solutions.
Smart Station Emerges From NNPC-NIS Partnership
The Retail Operations Executive of NNPC Retail, Shettima Baba-Kukawa, said the smart station was developed through a partnership between NNPC and the Nigerian Immigration Service.
He said the NIS provided the land for the project as part of a collaboration aimed at expanding NNPC’s footprint while improving energy access and security.
Baba-Kukawa described the facility as more than a conventional filling station, saying it was designed as a “lifestyle” and mobility hub.
He said the facility would include services such as a quick-service restaurant, coffee shop, automated car wash and vehicle service bay.
According to him, NNPC Retail partnered with African Motor Works to deploy the six-point electric vehicle charging facility.
NMDPRA Commends Initiative
Representing the Executive Director, Commercial and Operations of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Rabiu Umar, Mustapha Lamorde commended NNPC for introducing the smart station.
Lamorde said the combination of self-service fuel dispensing, electric vehicle charging, LPG dispensing, automated car wash and vehicle services demonstrated how technology and efficiency were reshaping Nigeria’s downstream petroleum industry.
He urged NNPC and its partners to sustain the initiative and expand the model nationwide while ensuring that innovation was accompanied by appropriate safety and environmental standards.
NIS Highlights Energy Transition
Also speaking, Deputy Comptroller General, Finance and Accounts, NIS, Saidu Daura, who represented the Comptroller General, Kemi Nandap, congratulated NNPC on the commissioning.
Daura said combining electric vehicle charging with conventional fuel infrastructure was consistent with global developments in energy transition, climate action and smart mobility.
He said the project demonstrated the potential of collaboration between government institutions and private-sector partners to stimulate investment, create jobs, facilitate skills transfer and promote sustainable development.
The Abuja facility is expected to serve as a model for NNPC’s planned nationwide expansion of smart energy and mobility hubs.
