NNPC to deploy 50 to 70 smart self-service energy stations in six months

NNPC Ltd plans to roll out between 50 and 70 smart, self-service energy stations across Nigeria within six months. The company announced the plan at the commissioning of the first of the facilities in Abuja, which it describes as a shift from filling station to energy hub.

Engr. Mumuni Dagazau, Executive Vice President, Downstream, said: "We are hoping to roll out a significant number, probably about 50 to 70 of these types of stations within the next six months. 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."

Fuel, gas, charging and food in one place

Each station will combine petrol, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric vehicle (EV) charging, alongside services such as a car wash and food outlets.

The Abuja facility holds 180,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit and 45,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil. It has 16 petrol pumps, two diesel pumps and six EV charging points installed in partnership with African Motor Works. The entire station runs on solar power, through a system exceeding 200 kilowatts in capacity.

Mr Shettima Baba-Kukawa, Executive Director of Retail Operations and Mobility, said the Abuja station's fast EV chargers can fully charge a vehicle in roughly 30 to 40 minutes. He added that plans are underway to include a quick-service restaurant, coffee shop, automated car wash and CNG conversion centre.

How the self-service model works

Customers who want to dispense their own fuel will need to download the NNPC Retail app, fund a digital wallet and generate a code that authorises them to dispense the exact quantity of fuel purchased. The stations will operate around the clock, though attendants will remain on site to assist those who cannot use the digital system.

Dagazau dismissed concerns that the self-service model could eliminate jobs, arguing the facilities would need more workers than conventional petrol stations to manage automation, EV charging and other services.

Why NNPC is changing tack

Managing Director of NNPC Retail, Huub Stokman, said the push to modernise was driven by rapid changes in Nigeria's downstream sector following deregulation and the start of operations at the Dangote Refinery. He said Nigerian consumers, particularly younger ones, increasingly want faster service, competitive prices, new energy options and environmentally responsible operations.

Stokman said: "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."

Additional smart stations are being planned for Abuja and Kano, with the broader national rollout expected to be completed within six months.

Earlier, NNPC Ltd opened its Bill Clinton Drive Mega Station on Airport Road in Abuja, with the commissioning taking place on Thursday, September 10. Customers who bought fuel at the new station received N5,000 worth of free petrol, subject to stock availability.

If the rollout holds to schedule, motorists get more fuel, gas and charging options under one roof, reducing reliance on petrol alone. It also raises the service and price bar for other marketers in a downstream market that is now fully deregulated.