The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) is moving to modernise Nigeria’s fuel retail sector with the introduction of technology-driven smart stations that combine automated fuelling, digital payments and multiple energy options.
The company recently commissioned its first Smart Self-Service Station in Abuja through its downstream subsidiary, NNPC Retail.
The facility allows customers to fuel their vehicles through a self-service system while also providing access to digital payment options, electric vehicle (EV) charging, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas (CNG).
NNPC Ltd. Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, said the initiative formed part of the company’s wider transformation programme aimed at improving operational efficiency and responding to changing customer expectations.
Ojulari said the smart station was designed not merely as another filling station but as a new model for how Nigerians interact with energy service providers.
According to him, the initiative reflects four strategic pillars of the company’s transformation agenda: enterprise-first mindset, execution excellence, profitable growth and becoming a partner of choice.
He said technology would enable NNPC Retail to simplify its operations, improve transaction monitoring and provide customers with a more convenient and transparent fuel-buying experience.
“Customers increasingly expect services that are convenient, accessible and transparent,” Ojulari said, adding that NNPC was seeking to respond to those expectations while maintaining sustainable operations.
The GCEO also said the integration of EV charging, LPG and CNG into the smart station reflected the changing pattern of energy consumption and the need to provide customers with different energy options.
Rollout to be phased
Ojulari said NNPC would not rush to replicate the model nationwide until the Abuja facility had been properly tested and evaluated.
He described the first smart station as a proof of concept, saying the company would assess its performance, customer experience and areas requiring improvement before beginning wider deployment.
He said the rollout would be carried out in phases, subject to the outcome of the initial deployment.
According to him, factors including customer demand, location suitability, infrastructure readiness and availability of the different energy solutions would determine where subsequent smart stations would be established.
“Not every location will necessarily require the same combination of services,” he said.
Ojulari said NNPC would therefore adopt a flexible approach that would allow each station to respond to the specific needs of its host community.
NNPC promises transaction monitoring
On concerns over pricing, fuel quantity, payment security and reliability, the NNPC chief executive said the stations had been designed with real-time monitoring systems to track transactions and equipment performance.
He said operational controls had also been incorporated to support accurate pricing and dispensing calibration.
The company, he added, was working with technology providers to ensure that the systems operated in line with required standards.
Ojulari said digital payment security remained a major consideration as more customers moved towards electronic transactions.
He, however, acknowledged that technology alone would not guarantee a satisfactory customer experience.
He said NNPC would rely on operational data and customer feedback to identify challenges, improve the system and ensure that faults were addressed promptly.
The initiative, he said, ultimately seeks to combine technology with accountability while making fuel and other energy services more convenient, secure and transparent for consumers.