BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU

 The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has unveiled plans to establish between 50 and 70 smart self-service fuelling stations across the country within the next six months as part of a major transformation of its retail operations.

The initiative, which signals a shift from conventional petrol stations to integrated energy hubs, was announced on Thursday during the commissioning of a state-of-the-art NNPC Retail Ltd. smart mega station in Abuja.

The newly inaugurated facility, located along Bill Clinton Drive on Airport Road, is powered by a 200-kilowatt-hour solar energy system and offers a range of services beyond fuel sales, including electric vehicle (EV) charging, gas dispensing, automated car washing and vehicle maintenance.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Vice President, Downstream, NNPC Ltd., Dr Mumuni Dagazau, said the Abuja station was only the beginning of a nationwide rollout aimed at modernising the company’s retail network and meeting changing customer needs.

According to him, NNPC plans to deploy dozens of similar facilities across Nigeria, with additional stations already scheduled for Abuja and 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,” Dagazau said.

He explained that the company’s vision is to transform traditional filling stations into one-stop centres where customers can access different forms of energy and related services in a single location.

“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 added.

The facility boasts a storage capacity of 180,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and 45,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), supported by 16 petrol dispensing pumps and two diesel pumps.

One of its major innovations is a self-service fuelling system that enables customers to purchase fuel independently using the NNPC Retail mobile application.

Dagazau said the technology-driven approach would allow motorists to access fuel and other services at any time of the day while reducing waiting times and improving convenience.

The station is also equipped with fast-charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, capable of fully charging some vehicles within 30 to 40 minutes, depending on battery capacity and charge levels.

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In addition to petrol and diesel, customers can access Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), lubricant services and automated vehicle care facilities.

The NNPC executive disclosed that the company would upgrade many of its existing retail outlets as part of the transformation programme, while new smart stations would be developed in response to demand across different locations.

Despite the increasing use of automation, Dagazau dismissed concerns that the initiative could lead to job losses.

Instead, he said the project would create new employment opportunities in technology support, customer service, EV operations and other specialised areas.

“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 explained that while customers would need the NNPC Retail application to use the self-service platform, trained personnel would remain available to assist anyone unfamiliar with the technology.

Dagazau further revealed that the company was exploring broader adoption of renewable energy solutions across its retail network, noting that the Abuja station’s solar-powered model reflects NNPC’s long-term vision for cleaner and more efficient energy delivery.

According to him, rapid advancements in technology and changing consumer expectations have made it necessary for the company to rethink how fuel stations operate.

“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.

He added that NNPC was also considering establishing CNG conversion centres at selected smart stations, allowing motorists to convert their vehicles to gas-powered systems while accessing other services.

The development marks one of the most ambitious retail modernisation drives undertaken by the national oil company, positioning its outlets as multi-service energy centres designed to serve both conventional and emerging energy consumers.