The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC Ltd., has announced plans to deploy between 50 and 70 smart, self-service energy stations across the country within the next six months.
The company said the initiative was part of its strategy to transform conventional filling stations into modern energy and mobility hubs offering petrol, electric vehicle, EV, charging, liquefied petroleum gas, LPG, compressed natural gas, CNG, car wash and food services.
Speaking yesterday in Abuja at the commissioning of a technology-driven smart station, the Executive Vice President, Downstream, NNPC Ltd., Engr. Mumuni Dagazau, said the facility was the first of several smart stations planned nationwide.
According to him, the new model is designed to provide customers with greater convenience by integrating different energy sources and services in one location.
“We are hoping to roll out a significant number, probably 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 NNPCL.
“This is the first of many smart stations that we are going to have around the country. What the whole concept is, we are trying to turn from a filling station to an energy hub,” he said.
Dagazau said the stations would integrate petrol, gas, and electricity while allowing customers to dispense fuel themselves, including at night.
He, however, dismissed concerns that the self-service model could lead to job losses, saying attendants and other personnel would remain available to assist customers and operate the technology-driven facilities.
“What NNPC does is create jobs. What this does is create jobs. You have an energy hub today. If you look at the average filling station and you look at the energy hub, you will find more people in the energy hub than you will find in the filling stations,” Dagazau said.
