Motorists can now buy and dispense petrol without the assistance of filling station attendants at selected Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited retail outlets under a new self-service system.
The initiative, introduced by NNPC Retail, enables customers to select their preferred station, pay for fuel through a mobile application and activate the pump with a code generated after payment.
The company is targeting the rollout of between 50 and 70 smart self-service stations nationwide over the next six months as part of efforts to modernise its retail operations.
To use the facility, motorists must first download the NRL Fuel App and select the fuel purchase option. They can then choose their preferred petrol type and search for an NNPC Retail outlet offering the service.
Only participating stations can currently be used for self-service purchases. Customers can identify them by the green “Self-Serve” tag displayed beside the station name on the application.
After selecting a participating outlet, the customer enters the amount to be spent on petrol and confirms the transaction through the “Pay from Wallet” option. The app subsequently generates a digital receipt containing an Order ID, an eight-digit Self-Service Code and a QR code.
At the designated pump, the customer enters the eight-digit code into the terminal and presses the hash key. Once the code is authenticated, the pump is activated, allowing the motorist to pick up the nozzle and dispense the quantity of petrol already paid for.
The NNPC Executive Vice President, Downstream, Mumuni Dagazau, said the initiative formed part of the company's broader effort to transform traditional filling stations into integrated energy and mobility centres.
Speaking at the commissioning of a smart station on Bill Clinton Drive, Airport Road, Abuja, the NNPC Retail Executive Director, Retail Operations and Mobility, Shettima Baba-Kukawa, said the system allowed customers to complete purchases with their phones and dispense precisely what they had paid for.
The company said the smart outlets would go beyond petrol sales by incorporating services including electric vehicle charging, liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas and other mobility-related facilities.
