The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited is set to expand its smart self-service station model to different parts of the country, with the rollout expected to take place in phases following an assessment of its maiden facility in Abuja.
Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Bayo Ojulari, said the company would base the nationwide expansion on lessons from the initial deployment, customer demand and the readiness of infrastructure in prospective locations.
Ojulari disclosed this during an interview on Friday, days after NNPC commissioned its first smart self-service station equipped with an electric vehicle (EV) charging facility in Abuja on September 10.
Asked when Nigerians should expect the model to be replicated across the country, the NNPC chief said the company would proceed with the expansion after evaluating the performance of the pilot facility.
“Subject to the outcome of this initial deployment, we expect the rollout to proceed in structured phases nationwide,” he said.
“The expansion will be guided by customer demand, location, infrastructure readiness and the availability of the different energy solutions in each area.”
He said the company was determined to move quickly with the project while ensuring that the facilities delivered sustainable and reliable services.
“Our commitment is to move with urgency while executing the project in a manner that stands the test of time,” Ojulari said.
According to him, the objective is to ensure that the benefits of the new technology are extended beyond Abuja to more communities across Nigeria.
Ojulari said Nigerians deserved to experience the convenience offered by the new model, but stressed that speed would not come at the expense of sustainability.
“Nigerians deserve to see the benefits of this innovation extended to more communities as quickly as possible,” he said.
“However, at NNPC Limited, speed and sustainability must go hand in hand. Execution Excellence, one of our core pillars, means moving with deliberate speed while ensuring that whatever we build will last.”
He described the Abuja facility as a proof of concept and said the company was being deliberate in its approach to expansion.
“This first Smart Station is a proof of concept, and we are moving deliberately—not slowly,” he said.
NNPC to refine model before expansion
Ojulari said NNPC’s immediate priority was to monitor the Abuja station and gather real-time operational data before replicating the model on a wider scale.
He said the company would work with its technology partners to identify areas requiring improvement and ensure that the system delivers the level of customer service expected by Nigerians.
The NNPC boss said the company did not want to rush into nationwide deployment only to discover that the model required significant reconstruction or modification.
“When we scale, we want to replicate a model that works—not one that we will have to rebuild,” he said.
The approach, he explained, would allow NNPC to use customer feedback and operational experience from the pilot facility to improve subsequent smart stations.
‘NNPC self-service station operation is a milestone’
Ojulari described the commissioning of NNPC Retail’s first smart self-service station as an important milestone in the transformation of NNPC Retail and the wider NNPC Limited business.
According to him, the facility demonstrates how technology can be deployed to improve the efficiency of fuel retail operations while giving customers greater convenience.
“It demonstrates, in practical terms, how we are using technology to improve the efficiency of our retail operations. This is a direct expression of our Execution Excellence pillar,” he said.
The GCEO said the project was also part of NNPC’s broader ambition to develop a customer-focused and digitally enabled energy company capable of responding to changing consumer needs.
He said the smart station model reflected the company’s emphasis on transparency across its operations, adding that the approach was expected to support both NNPC’s commercial objectives and broader economic development.
Ojulari said the new model brings together several energy and payment solutions in one facility.
“The model combines self-service fuelling with digital payments and additional energy solutions, including electric vehicle charging, Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Compressed Natural Gas,” he said.
“It is not simply a new type of filling station. It signals a shift towards a more integrated and technology-enabled energy retail experience, developed in collaboration with our technology and retail partners.”
Focus on transparency, security
The NNPC chief also highlighted the measures built into the smart station to improve transaction transparency, equipment monitoring and customer confidence.
He said the company considered operational integrity and customer trust essential components of the new retail model.
“Integrity in our operations and trust and convenience for our customers are two sides of the same commitment,” he said.
Ojulari said the smart station was designed to provide real-time monitoring of transactions and equipment performance, with dedicated maintenance and customer-support systems in place.
“The Smart Station has been designed with real-time monitoring of transactions and equipment performance. It is also supported by dedicated maintenance and customer-support processes to ensure that issues are identified and resolved promptly—not after the fact,” he said.
He added that controls had been incorporated into the system to promote pricing accuracy, proper dispensing calibration and the security of digital payments.
“Controls have been incorporated to ensure pricing accuracy, proper dispensing calibration and the security of digital payments. These measures were developed in partnership with our technology providers to meet the standards our customers deserve,” Ojulari said.
The NNPC chief further said the company would continue to use feedback from customers and operational data to improve the technology and services offered at the stations.
“Just as importantly, we intend to continue listening to our customers. We will use operational data and direct customer feedback to refine the system continuously,” he said.
He said the ultimate objective was to make fuel and energy transactions simpler, safer and more transparent for consumers.
“Our objective is that every transaction must be easy, secure and transparent, and every customer must leave confident that they received exactly what they paid for,” Ojulari said.
With the Abuja facility serving as the initial test of the model, NNPC is now expected to assess its performance before commencing the proposed phased expansion to other locations across the country.