NNPC Launches First Self-service, Smart Filling Station in Abuja

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) unveiled a technologically advanced smart fueling station at the headquarters of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Abuja, with intentions to replicate this model in more than 50 additional stations nationwide within the next six months. NNPC's Executive Vice President, Downstream, Mumuni Dagazau, unveiled the Abuja station as the inaugural smart station to emerge from the company's initiative to metamorphose traditional filling stations into integrated energy and mobility hubs.

The newly inaugurated facility, spanning 180,000 liters for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and 45,000 liters for Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), comes equipped with 16 petrol pumps, two diesel pumps, six electric vehicle charging stations, an automated car wash, lubricant service bay, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) dispensing facilities, and plans to introduce compressed natural gas (CNG) and CNG vehicle conversion services.

Powered by a solar system boasting an output of more than 200 kilowatt-hours, the smart station is engineered to operate around the clock. The NNPC executive emphasized the convenience offered by the self-service feature, allowing customers to dispense fuel after making payments via the NNPC mobile application. However, attendants would remain on standby to assist those struggling to navigate the self-service system.

Dagazau dismissed concerns of job losses, asserting that the expanded range of services provided by the smart stations would generate additional employment opportunities. The NNPC's modernization drive, aimed at bolstering customer expectations, involves upgrading existing stations and developing new facilities. Huub Stockman, Managing Director of NNPC Retail Limited, highlighted the rapidly evolving petroleum industry, particularly following the full deregulation and the commencement of operations at the Dangote refinery.

He noted that customers now expect quality, quantity at reasonable prices, faster service, digital payment options, and additional services like restaurants, convenience shops, coffee shops, banking, car wash facilities, and alternative energy solutions. NNPC Retail's commitment to meeting these expectations and providing convenient, sustainable energy solutions was underscored.

Shettima Baba-Kukawa, Retail Operations Executive of NNPC Retail, revealed that the smart station was the fruit of collaboration between NNPC and the Nigeria Immigration Service. Designed on land allocated by the Immigration Service, the station transcends the traditional fuelling point, evolving into a "lifestyle" and mobility hub, with plans to incorporate a quick-service restaurant, coffee shop, automated car wash, and vehicle service bay.

The station's electric vehicle charging facility, deployed by African Motor Works, comprises six charging points. Mustapha Lamorde, representing the Executive Director, Commercial and Operations of the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), commended NNPC for the initiative, praising the integration of self-service fuel dispensing, electric vehicle charging, LPG dispensing, automated car wash, and vehicle services.

He stressed the significance of this evolution in Nigeria's downstream petroleum industry through technology and efficiency. Lamorde urged NNPC and its partners to persist with the initiative and scale it across the country, ensuring that innovation is coupled with safety and environmental responsibility. Saidu Daura, Deputy Comptroller General, Finance and Accounts, Nigeria Immigration Service, also congratulated NNPC on the commissioning, emphasizing that the integration of electric vehicle charging with conventional fuelling infrastructure aligns with global trends in energy transition, climate action, and smart mobility.