Abuja Gets First Self-Service Fuel Station

Motorists in the Federal Capital Territory can now buy and dispense petrol themselves following the launch of Nigeria’s first self-service fuel station in Abuja.

The facility, operated by Sunbeth Energies, is located in the Wuse axis of the capital and allows customers to independently select the quantity or value of fuel they want, make payment, obtain pump authorisation and dispense the product themselves.

Speaking on the development, Abiola Ameen, Chief Marketing Officer of Sunbeth Energies, said the system was designed to give customers greater control and visibility throughout the fuelling process.

“Customers can follow the transaction from payment and pump authorisation through to fuel dispensing and confirmation,” Ameen said.

He explained that after selecting the required quantity or value of fuel and completing payment, customers receive authorisation to use the pump before dispensing the fuel themselves.

“The transaction is confirmed through the system once fuelling is complete,” he added.

Ameen said trained customer experience personnel would remain available at the station to assist customers, particularly those using the self-service system for the first time.

The Abuja deployment, according to him, builds on the company’s experience with the model at its Ogba outlet in Lagos, where it reportedly recorded 100 per cent transaction success and zero service downtime over the preceding month.

He said the Lagos experience had provided the company with insights into customer behaviour, station operations and the level of support required to make self-service fuelling effective.

“Taking self-service fuelling to Abuja is an important development for our retail operations,” Ameen said.

“Our experience at Ogba showed us how customers interact with the system, where they need support and what is required to keep the process running smoothly at the station.”

He added that the lessons from Lagos had been applied to the Wuse deployment, with emphasis on reliability, customer service and building customers’ confidence in the new system.

Also speaking, Lateef Abioye, Managing Director of Sunbeth Energies, said the performance of the Lagos facility had reinforced the company’s view that technology, convenience and customer experience would increasingly influence downstream fuel retailing.

The self-service process at the Wuse station involves five main stages: selecting and purchasing fuel, making payment, receiving pump authorisation, dispensing the fuel and confirming the completed transaction.

The Abuja launch marks an expansion of Sunbeth Energies’ self-service offering beyond Lagos and provides motorists in the FCT with an alternative method of purchasing and dispensing fuel.