Nigeria’s petroleum retail network dates back several decades, with a handful of service stations still operating on sites established during the country’s early oil era. These outlets offer a rare physical link between Nigeria’s modern fuel market and its petroleum history.
1. Total Nigeria Plc – Yaba, Lagos
Total Nigeria opened Nigeria’s first modern petrol filling station in 1956 on Herbert Macaulay Street, Yaba, Lagos. The company, then known as CFP, launched the outlet just before the oil boom reshaped the economy.
The station remains on its original site today. Although Total has renovated the facility over the years, it continues to serve motorists. From this single outlet, Total Nigeria expanded to more than 500 stations nationwide. Industry historians regard the Yaba station as the foundation of organised fuel retailing in Nigeria, coinciding with the rise of automobile use in Lagos.
2. Conoil Plc (Formerly Shell) – Marina, Lagos
Conoil traces its roots to the Shell Company of Nigeria, established in 1927. While early operations focused on storage and exports, Shell later developed retail outlets in Lagos following oil discoveries.
One of the oldest surviving stations stands at Bull Plaza on Marina, Lagos Island. The outlet, now operated by Conoil, occupies the same footprint from the Shell era. Although the station has been modernised, it remains a rare example of a retail fuel site linked to Nigeria’s pre-independence oil history. As Nigeria’s oldest indigenous marketer, Conoil’s early stations helped shape the downstream sector.
3. Oando Plc (Esso / Unipetrol) – Apapa–Victoria Island axis, Lagos
Oando’s retail heritage dates back to 1956, when Exxon launched Esso West Africa and opened some of Nigeria’s earliest service stations. Several of these outlets were located along Lagos’s waterfront and major transport corridors.
One surviving station in the Apapa–Victoria Island area still operates on its original site. The station later passed to Unipetrol in the 1970s and eventually became part of Oando’s network. Although the branding and facilities have changed, the site continues to function as a fuel station, making it one of the country’s oldest operating outlets.
4. 11 Plc (Mobil) – Victoria Island / Apapa, Lagos
Mobil’s presence in Nigeria dates back to 1907 through kerosene marketing. However, the company expanded into retail fuel stations after World War II.
One of Mobil’s oldest operating stations sits near Mobil House on Victoria Island, close to Apapa. Opened in the mid-1960s, the station remains active today. Renovations have modernised the outlet, but it still occupies its original plot. The station reflects Mobil’s early role in Nigeria’s downstream sector, long before mass car ownership became common.
5. MRS Oil Nigeria (Texaco / Chevron) – Lagos Island
Texaco entered Nigeria in 1969 after acquiring Esso’s trading business in West Africa. Shortly after, it built its first service stations, including a flagship outlet on Lagos Island.
That original station site, now operated by MRS Oil, remains in use. While the structures and pumps have evolved over time, the location remains a vital service to motorists. The outlet marks Texaco’s entry into Nigeria’s retail fuel market and later transitions under Chevron and Nigerian ownership.
Why These Stations Matter
These stations are more than retail outlets. They represent milestones in Nigeria’s petroleum history, spanning colonial trade, post-independence expansion, and modern downstream reforms. Despite renovations and rebranding, their continued operation highlights the durability of Nigeria’s early fuel infrastructure and the evolution of its oil marketing industry.