NNPC self-service fuel lets motorists pay by app and dispense petrol themselves as the company targets 50 to 70 smart stations nationwide

Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited Executive Vice President, Downstream, Mumuni Dagazau, NNPC Retail Executive Director, Retail Operations and Mobility, Shettima Baba-Kukawa, and NNPC Retail Managing Director, Huub Stokman, have introduced app-based self-service fuel dispensing at a newly commissioned smart station on Bill Clinton Drive, Airport Road, Abuja, on Thursday, September 10, 2026, allowing motorists to pay digitally and dispense petrol themselves.

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The launch marks a significant shift from Nigeria’s familiar attendant-led filling station model. NNPC Retail plans to deploy between 50 and 70 smart, self-service stations across the country within the next six months.

At participating outlets, motorists will not need to wait for an attendant to dispense the quantity purchased.

Instead, customers can complete the transaction through the NNPC Retail mobile application before activating the pump themselves.

The process begins with downloading the NRL Fuel App and selecting Fuel Purchase. Customers then choose their preferred fuel type and select an NNPC Retail station marked with the green Self-Serve badge.

After choosing the station, the customer enters the amount to be spent and reviews the corresponding quantity and price before selecting Pay from Wallet.

Once payment is completed, the application generates a digital receipt containing an Order ID, an eight-digit Self-Service Code and a QR code.

At the pump, the customer enters the eight-digit code on the terminal and presses the hash key. Once the transaction is validated, the nozzle can be lifted and the fuel dispensed, up to the exact amount purchased.

The model is currently limited to selected NNPC Retail stations as the company gradually expands the network.

The Abuja facility, commissioned on September 10, is designed to operate around the clock. It has storage capacity for 180,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit and 45,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil, with 16 PMS pumps and two AGO dispensing pumps.

The station also goes beyond conventional petrol retailing. Its services include electric vehicle charging, liquefied petroleum gas dispensing, an automated car wash and vehicle servicing, while NNPC Retail says compressed natural gas facilities are also planned. The site is powered by a solar installation of more than 200 kilowatts.

Dagazau said the wider ambition was to reshape the traditional filling station into an energy hub.

“We are hoping to roll out a significant number, probably about 50 to 70 of these types of stations within the next six months.”

Dagazau also said the new model was intended to bring different energy sources together at a single location, including petrol, gas and electricity.

Baba-Kukawa said customers would be able to complete transactions through the mobile application and dispense the exact quantity of fuel purchased. He described the station as an energy and mobility hub rather than a conventional filling station.

The technology-led approach also comes with a reassurance for motorists who may be unfamiliar with self-service fuelling.

Station personnel will remain available to assist customers who need help using the application or dispensing equipment.

NNPC executives have also rejected the suggestion that automation will necessarily eliminate jobs. Dagazau argued that the broader energy-hub model would require personnel for areas such as automation, electric vehicle charging and other services.

The rollout comes as Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market continues to adjust to a more competitive and technology-driven environment.

The commissioning of large-scale domestic refining capacity, alongside the full deregulation of the petrol market, has increased pressure on fuel retailers to improve efficiency, convenience and customer experience. NNPC Retail Managing Director Huub Stokman said the downstream industry was changing rapidly against this backdrop.

The Abuja station was developed through collaboration involving NNPC Retail, the Nigeria Immigration Service and African Motor Works, among other partners. The model is expected to be replicated through further partnerships as NNPC Retail expands its network.

For motorists, the immediate attraction is straightforward: payment can be completed before reaching the pump, the customer retains direct control over dispensing, and the digital transaction records the precise quantity purchased.

For NNPC Retail, however, the ambition is considerably broader. The planned expansion of NNPC self-service fuel stations represents an attempt to turn conventional filling stations into technology-enabled energy centres where petrol, gas, electricity and vehicle services can coexist.

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If the six-month rollout proceeds as announced, the Abuja facility will serve as an early test of whether Nigeria’s motorists are ready to embrace a more automated and self-directed way of buying fuel.