Ojulari: NNPC to Roll Out Smart Self-Service Stations Nationwide in Phases

The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Bayo Ojulari, has announced that the company will roll out its smart self-service stations across Nigeria in structured phases.

Ojulari disclosed this during an interview on Friday, saying the nationwide expansion would depend on the outcome of the company’s initial deployment.

The announcement follows the commissioning of NNPC Retail’s first smart self-service station, equipped with an electric vehicle (EV) charging facility, in Abuja on September 10.

According to Ojulari, the expansion will be guided by factors including customer demand, location, infrastructure readiness and the availability of different energy solutions in each area.

“Subject to the outcome of this initial deployment, we expect the rollout to proceed in structured phases nationwide,” he said.

He stressed that NNPC intends to move with urgency while ensuring that the infrastructure is sustainable and capable of delivering long-term value.

“Our commitment is to move with urgency while executing the project in a manner that stands the test of time,” Ojulari said.

He described the Abuja facility as a “proof of concept,” explaining that the company’s immediate priority is to monitor its operations, gather customer feedback and work with technology partners to refine the system before wider deployment.

“When we scale, we want to replicate a model that works—not one that we will have to rebuild,” he said.

Ojulari said the smart station represents an important milestone in the transformation of NNPC Retail and the broader NNPC Limited, particularly in the use of technology to improve efficiency and customer experience.

The facility combines self-service fuelling with digital payment systems and other energy solutions, including electric vehicle charging, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

“It is not simply a new type of filling station. It signals a shift towards a more integrated and technology-enabled energy retail experience,” Ojulari said.

He added that the smart station incorporates real-time monitoring of transactions and equipment performance, alongside maintenance and customer-support systems designed to ensure that operational issues are identified and resolved promptly.

According to him, controls have also been introduced to promote pricing accuracy, proper dispensing calibration and the security of digital payments.

Ojulari said NNPC would continue to use operational data and customer feedback to improve the system as the project expands.

He maintained that the company’s objective is for every transaction to be easy, secure and transparent, with customers confident that they received exactly what they paid for.