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The Arewa Youth Council (AYC) has praised the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, following the commissioning of Nigeria’s first Smart Self-Service Filling Station in Abuja.

The youth body also welcomed the clear plan to establish between 50 and 70 similar modern energy hubs across the country within the next six months.

In a statementAmbassador Sidi Sani and Publicity Secretary Mallam Bilal Usman, the Council described the project as a progressive transformation of the nation’s downstream petroleum retail sector.

It noted that traditional filling stations are being converted into integrated energy and mobility hubs that combine fuel dispensing with digital and multi-energy services.

“This initiative marks a significant and progressive transformation of Nigeria’s downstream petroleum retail sector,” the Council stated.

“By converting traditional filling stations into integrated energy and mobility hubs, NNPC Limited has introduced self-service fuel dispensing through a mobile application, digital payment systems, electric vehicle charging points, liquefied petroleum gas facilities, planned compressed natural gas services, solar-powered operations, and complementary customer amenities.

“The model prioritises convenience, accuracy, transparency, and round-the-clock accessibility,” the statement added.

“For Nigeria, the Smart Station programme represents a decisive shift toward technology-enabled energy retailing.”

The Arewa Youth Council emphasised that the programme strengthens national energy security while modernising service delivery.

It said the initiative positions the country to meet changing consumer demands and prepare for a multi-energy future that includes petrol, diesel, LPG, CNG, and electricity.

Direct benefits for citizens were highlighted as practical and immediate. Motorists, commercial transporters, and households stand to gain from shorter queues, greater control over transactions, and more reliable product delivery, according to the Council.

“Motorists, commercial transporters, and households will experience reduced waiting times, greater control over transactions, and improved reliability in product delivery,” the statement declared.

“Digital self-service options minimise disputes over quantity and enhance accountability.

“The inclusion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure anticipates the gradual expansion of cleaner mobility options, while solar power reduces operational dependence on the national grid,” it continued.

“These stations will deliver a more efficient, modern, and dignified retail experience for ordinary Nigerians.”

At the national level, the Council observed that the programme carries strategic value by supporting the expansion and modernisation of NNPC Limited’s retail network of about 900 outlets.

The transformation is expected to deepen market presence, create new value chains, and generate opportunities in technology support, infrastructure maintenance, and customer service.

Rather than displacing workers, the new model is expected to evolve existing roles and introduce new skill requirements, thereby contributing to sustainable employment across the sector.

“We specifically commend Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari for the strategic leadership that has made this possible,” the Arewa Youth Council said.

“Since assuming office, he has demonstrated a consistent commitment to performance, institutional reform, and national interest.

“Under his direction, NNPC Limited has maintained focus on production growth, critical infrastructure delivery, commercial discipline, and customer-oriented transformation,” the statement noted.

“The Smart Self-Service Station initiative is a tangible expression of that leadership—practical, measurable, and citizen-focused.”

While acknowledging NNPC Limited’s other achievements in upstream operations, gas development, and organisational efficiency, the Council chose to focus on the downstream innovation because of its direct impact on the daily lives of Nigerians.

Energy, it stressed, remains the lifeblood of economic activity and household wellbeing.
Making retail more efficient, transparent, and multi-dimensional is therefore a matter of national importance, the group maintained.

“The Arewa Youth Council urges accelerated and inclusive nationwide rollout, with deliberate attention to northern and underserved regions,” the statement read.

“We call on state governments, private sector partners, and technology providers to support the expansion.

“Continuous refinement of the customer experience and structured training for personnel supporting the new systems will be essential for long-term success,” it added.

“We congratulate Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, the Management and staff of NNPC Limited and NNPC Retail, and all collaborating partners.”

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The African Democratic Congress Senatorial Candidate for Ekiti North, Funso Ayeni, has condemned the attack and vandalisation of his campaign office, calling on law enforcement agencies to investigate the matter.

Ayeni spoke at Ido Ekiti, the headquarters of the senatorial district, on Saturday during an assessment visit to the damaged office.

The campaign office was inaugurated on Thursday last week.

The candidate condemned political violence and intimidation in any form in the state, as he urged that the 2027 elections should be remembered for ideas and accountability, and not destruction.

The campaign office after the attack.
He said, “Whatever the circumstances surrounding the damage to this office are, political disagreement must never become a pathway to destruction, intimidation or violence. I believe Ekiti must not walk the road of political violence.

“Ekiti State is too knowledgeable, too educated and too politically conscious to allow such a culture to take place. I, therefore, call on the relevant security and law enforcement authorities to investigate what happened here and establish the facts.

Political competition should be about ideas; it should be about programmes, it should be about records and the service we are about to offer our people, not destruction of one’s property or another person’s political office. I will continue to advocate for a peaceful, issue-based and responsible political environment in Ekiti North and across Ekiti State.

We can disagree without destroying; let us compete without violence and let us ensure that the 2027 political session is remembered for ideas, for accountability and not for intimidation nor destruction, and not for bloodshed.”

Ayeni appealed to his supporters across the senatorial district to remain calm and not take the law into their hands despite the provocation.

He said, “I am here today not only to merely inspect that damaged office, but to draw attention to a development that should concern every peace-loving citizen of Ekiti State and in particular Ekiti North Senatorial District.”

The senatorial candidate urged politicians in the state to learn from the recently conducted governorship election in Osun State, “where destruction of campaign materials and political property became part of a broader atmosphere of political tension and violence, with subsequent attacks and loss of lives reported. We must learn from Osun not to repeat the painful experience in Ekiti.”

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As Nigeria prepares for the conduct of general elections to usher in fresh sets of political office holders across the country, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has visited the Prayer Ground of St. Padre PIO, at St Giovanni Rotondo in Italy, to offer prayers to God for a peaceful 2027 elections and an end to banditry and terrorism in Nigeria.

Answering questions from St Padre PIO TV/ Radio in Italy, Akpabio said, ” we are all from Nigeria. We came to offer prayers and get blessings from God for ourselves, families and our dear country that is currently being ravaged by banditry and terrorism.

” We are here on this prayer ground and we are going home fulfilled, that we were able to touch this Holy ground, drop our intentions which he will take to God on our behalf”.

Akpabio described the ground as a holy one, noting that ” I am very impressed that the place has been well kept. This is a Holy ground. Some people who are here might not even understand the significance of this ground but those of us who are adherents and followers of PIO, believe in his intercessions.”

To further buttress his belief in the efficacy of the name; PIO, Akpabio went down memory lane on how St PIO intereceded for the miraculous healing of his wife, Mrs Unoma Akpabio, after she was 98 percent dead.

According to him, ” My wife was in a comma for six months in a hospital in Germany. She was 98 percent dead. I used the picture of PIO to make a sign of the cross on her, instead of putting-off the life- support machine she was on. She had an operation that went wrong. I cried to Mother Mary; the mother of Jesus Christ and called on PIO to interceed.

” Miraculously, she woke up. That hospital, uptill today, is yet to understand what happened. As someone who has experienced the powers in where I am standing, I can understand it more than anyone else”, he noted.

He stated further that,” this is my 10th time here. When my wife was finally discharged from the hospital, she waited for three months before she could remember my name and those of the children. We are here today, to give thanks to God and to thank PIO for always interceeding for us.

“We honored PIO by giving our son the baptismal name; PIO. We equally established a big academy which we called PIO Football Academy, where we train and offer scholarships to children of the poor from 9 years up to university level, all in memory of PIO. May his soul rest in perfect peace”.