The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited says it plans to deploy between 50 and 70 smart, self-service filling stations across Nigeria within the next six months.
Gatekeepers News reports that Mumuni Dagazau, NNPC’s Executive Vice-President, Downstream, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while commissioning a self-service filling station equipped with an electric vehicle (EV) charging facility.
Dagazau said the initiative was part of efforts to transform conventional filling stations into energy hubs offering a wider range of energy and mobility services.
“This is the first of many smart stations that we are going to have around the country. We are trying to turn from a filling station to an energy hub, and we are rolling out a lot of stations. I think even in Abuja, for this type of station, we have about four or five,” he said.
“We have another two that we’re launching out in Kano. This sort of smart stations that we’re doing.
“We are hoping to roll out a significant number, 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.”
According to Dagazau, the new energy hubs will combine different energy sources, including electricity, gas and petrol, while providing EV charging services.
He explained that the self-service model would enable customers to dispense petrol themselves, including at night, through digital payment systems, while attendants would remain available to assist customers when necessary.
Dagazau also dismissed concerns that automation and self-service pumps could result in job losses, arguing that the expanded services offered at the energy hubs would create additional employment opportunities.
“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 would find in the filling stations. So what we are doing is creating jobs for that. Somebody has to support the integration,” he said.
“Somebody has to support the automation. For the EVs, we have to be here to support people. So nothing really changes for us.”
He said the smart stations were designed to improve service delivery, customer convenience and the overall experience of motorists.
Huub Stokman, Managing Director of NNPC Retail, said the transformation had become necessary as Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market evolves following deregulation and the commencement of operations at the Dangote Refinery.
Stokman said consumers were increasingly demanding quality petroleum products, competitive prices, faster services, digital payment options and alternative energy solutions, including EV charging and compressed natural gas (CNG).
“Above all, especially the younger generation, they want us to deliver it sustainably, hence the fact that you also see that this station is completely solar-powered,” Stokman said.
Also speaking, Shettima Baba-Kukawa, Executive Director, Retail Operations and Mobility at NNPC, said the newly commissioned Abuja station has a storage capacity of 180,000 litres of petrol and 45,000 litres of diesel.
