NNPC Set To Establish 109 Mega Stations Across Nigeria

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) continues nationwide consultations with stakeholders aimed at ensuring efficient distribution of petroleum products across Nigeria. 

The expansion plans of the state corporation include building a mega station in every Senatorial district in the months ahead. Currently, there are 109 districts in Nigeria.

Babatunde Adeniran, the group executive director, confirmed this plan during a meeting with Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state earlier this week, PremiumTimes report.

“Our mission is to build three mega stations, one each in the three senatorial districts of the state. We need about five thousand square meters for each of the station. Each station will have six pumps including that of liquefied petroleum gas, which is cooking gas,” he said.

Governor El-Rufai assured the NNPC delegation of providing all the support required, expressed readiness to give even ten sites, if necessary.

The governor emphasised that Nigeria cannot prosper without proper supply of petroleum products. He expressed his satisfaction on the fact that the NNPC was investing in the retail business, as state-controlled mega stations would ensure that Nigerians “are nor exploited” by private-sector suppliers.

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state also had consultations with the NNPC delegates this week. He described the corporation as a reliable business ally for socio-economic growth of Kano state and Nigeria in the whole.

“Kano state being the largest in terms of population and also the commercial nerve centre of the north, there is no better organization to have an alliance with than the NNPC,” the governor said.

Just like his colleague El-Rufai, Ganduje is going to give carte blanch to the state corporation.

“We know the philosophy behind establishing such retail stations. Considering that you are the custodians of crude oil and petroleum products in the country, one may wonder why you are into retail business. But those of us in governance understand the situation because if you leave everything to the marketers, then the problem of control especially of the price and availability will become difficult.”

Governor Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa state had a consultative meeting with the NNPC’s representatives too, expressed readiness to provide the sites, voted for the expansion of corporation’s retail network.

The development goes inline with the announcement by Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, the minister of state for petroleum. According to it, the network of filling stations will expand in the next few years, despite crisis.