How we sell fuel in Lagos using mobile app – FueledUp boss

Subomi Owo-Odusi is the
 24 year old founder of FueledUp, a mobile application that enables
people to fuel their cars on the go eliminating the inconvenience of
queuing at  filling stations. In this interview with Jonah Nwokpoku, he
explains how a product like petrol could be distributed in Lagos’
complex city setting using mobile technology. Excerpts


What is fueledUp?

FueledUp is your Personal Filling station, a mobile application that
enables an on-demand fuelling service making sure you never stop for
fuel again. Our aim is to create convenience for the everyday use of
petroleum products

How exactly do you propose to sell a product like petrol using mobile
app?

FueledUp boss

FueledUp is a mobile application that allows its users to request for
fuel for delivery at your chosen location. We would be using IT as a
tool to enable us reach to all and provide accessibility too. The
application remains a web tool for the request of service and nothing
more. Products would be delivered to your desired location and payment
via your desired e-payment channels.  At least 75 per cent of Lagosians
use smart phones and at least 30 per cent are tech savvy.

What kind of logistics have you built to make this a success?

We have strong partnership agreements, which we can not disclose now,
with the very best in the downstream oil and gas sector. This is to
ensure reliability of products at the best market price as well as the
authenticity of products sold.  Also, we have the required man power and
 trucks available to carry out operations to meet consumers’ demand upon
 launch. We are approaching this with modern practices especially on
delivery routines to ensure safety, security and reduce delays as a
result of the heavy traffic flow in Lagos.

Do you think this your approach is going to solve Nigeria’s distribution
 issues around petroleum products?

Our technology approach would not only help solve distribution issues
but also reduce traffic flow. Overall it will lead to increase in
productivity within the State as we aim to bring to Lagosians a system
that takes off one less worry especially in this time.

FueledUp would bring the filling station experience to all, making it
‘your Personal Filling Station’. This will result to effective time
management as endless waits at filling stations would be drastically
reduced or completely eliminated thus reducing traffic congestions on
our roads.

Our solution is also designed to bring products to areas that find
access to products very hard and are being exploited by merchants in
their vicinities. It enables a free market system recently adopted by
the NNPC and truly embraces the notion making it possible for all to not
 only afford products but also have access to it with no exploitation.

If you do not catch up with technology, you would be left behind, the
use of IT is critical to bringing all into a more globally accessible
online community.

Do you plan to only sell PMS or do you also plan to sell other petroleum
 products like diesel and kerosene?

We certainly would move into other petroleum products once we have built
 a significant customer base. By expanding into other petroleum
products, we truly become your personal filling station.

Safety is a critical concern in petroleum products distribution, how
have you planned for this?

We take our Health Safety and Environment(HSE) very seriously, and due
to that we will be running campaigns educating the public on the
practice of the FueldUp delivery process, as well as safety routines we
should practice in our daily lives. Also, in conjunction with Lagos
State Fire Service and international experts in HSE practice within
downstream oil and gas sector, we will be carrying out trainings and
also carrying out monitoring checks on our operational manuals and
practice. This is to ensure that our employees operate with the best
practices within the industry

Take us through the process of buying petrol from FueledUp?

Well it is not just petrol, so I would take you through the process of
getting FueledUp.

*Download the app(once it appears in Various App stores)

*Create your account

*Click the Get FueledUp button. The App picks up your location via GPS,
you can seek to change that if you want by selecting an area with the
use of the pin.

*Fill out the request form- Select how many liters, select delivery
time, and add any other information you desire

*Press request

Once this is done, our customer service team would be notified who will
immediately notify our truckers who will affect delivery.

The delivery time however is based on the stipulated option selected by
user. The entire process is seamless and real time to ensure swift
response to consumer behaviour.

How cost effective will your products be? Will you comply with official
regulated pump price? This is because apparently you are neither a black
 market nor a filling station or do you also have a license to market
petroleum products?

As you know, there  is no pegged price, just a capped price with a
retail band to work with, FueledUp would offer competitive pricing
making sure we allow customer to save.

What should Nigerians expect from fueledUp?

FueledUp will be dedicated to creating convenience for the daily user,
nothing less than that.