NNPC Self-Service Pumps: How to Buy Petrol With the NRL Fuel App

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) is introducing app-powered self-service petrol pumps that let motorists pay digitally and dispense fuel themselves, without waiting on a station attendant. The company plans to deploy between 50 and 70 smart, self-service stations across Nigeria within the next six months.

The service is currently limited to selected NNPC Retail outlets, and customers can only use it at stations carrying the green "Self-Serve" badge on the app.

The six steps to buy fuel

NNPC Retail has released a guide for motorists using the service.

1. Download the NRL Fuel App using the official link provided through NNPC Retail's channels.

2. Open the app, tap "Fuel Purchase" and select the type of fuel you want to buy.

3. Browse available NNPC Retail outlets and look for stations carrying the green "Self-Serve" badge.

4. Select the station, enter how much you want to spend and review the corresponding quantity and price. Tap "Pay from Wallet" to complete payment.

5. After a successful payment, the app generates a digital receipt containing an Order ID, an eight-digit Self-Service Code and a QR code.

6. At the selected station, enter the eight-digit code on the pump terminal and press the hash key. Once the transaction is validated, pick up the nozzle and dispense the quantity already purchased.

NNPC's bigger plan for filling stations

NNPC Executive Vice President, Downstream, Mumuni Dagazau, said the programme forms part of plans to transform traditional filling stations into broader energy and mobility hubs.

At the newly commissioned smart station on Bill Clinton Drive, Airport Road, Abuja, NNPC Retail Executive Director for Retail Operations and Mobility, Shettima Baba-Kukawa, said customers can complete transactions on their phones and dispense the exact quantity purchased.

NNPC says the emerging smart stations are expected to combine conventional petrol retailing with other energy and mobility services, including electric vehicle charging, liquefied petroleum gas and compressed natural gas.

What it means for motorists

If the rollout succeeds nationwide, the self-service model could shift how Nigerians buy petrol, giving motorists more control over the quantity dispensed and cutting the time spent at the pump. It also ties fuel purchases to a digital wallet, which means payments move through the app rather than cash at the station.

The timing matters for customers. NNPC recently raised pump prices at its filling stations in Abuja and Lagos. Stations in Abuja now sell petrol at N1,299 per litre, up from N1,250, while the price in Lagos moved from N1,210 to N1,225 per litre. The adjustments reflect a broader wave of price reviews by filling stations responding to higher product replacement costs.

For now, the service remains a pilot at participating locations. Motorists outside those stations will still buy fuel the old way until the 50 to 70 smart stations come on stream over the next six months.