Petrol station workers operating under the umbrella of the Concerned Petrol Station Workers have strongly opposed plans by AA Rano to introduce what the company has described as Nigeria’s first fully automated and unmanned fuel stations.
The workers warned that the proposed innovation, if implemented without adequate safeguards and transition plans, could worsen unemployment and fuel insecurity across the country.
AA Rano recently announced plans to roll out the automated fuel stations in January, explaining that the outlets would operate a 24-hour self-service fuelling system. According to the company, the stations would rely on contactless payment platforms, real-time monitoring technology, and automated dispensing systems, effectively eliminating the need for on-site pump attendants.
Reacting to the announcement, the convener of the Concerned Petrol Station Workers and a labour rights advocate, Comrade Ibrahim Zango, expressed deep concern over the potential social consequences of the initiative.
In a statement issued in Kaduna on Thursday, Zango said thousands of young Nigerians currently employed as petrol station attendants risk losing their means of livelihood if the plan goes ahead unchecked.
He described the timing of the move as inappropriate, given Nigeria’s prevailing economic challenges, including rising unemployment, high cost of living, and growing insecurity.
“At a time when Nigeria is already grappling with mass unemployment and worsening economic hardship, introducing job-eliminating technology without adequate safeguards is dangerous,” Zango said.
He urged stakeholders to consider the human cost of the innovation, noting that many families depend solely on income earned from petrol station jobs across the country.
“So imagine the number of AA Rano fuel stations alone nationwide and even beyond our borders. Imagine how many pump attendants are currently earning their living from these stations,” he added.
Zango further noted that many petrol station attendants have spent decades in the profession and deserve better than being displaced without a clear and humane transition plan.
“To suddenly push people out of jobs they have done for years, without robust plans for retraining, redeployment, or compensation, will only deepen the crisis facing the nation,” he said.
While acknowledging the importance of technological advancement, the workers’ leader stressed that innovation should not come at the expense of workers’ welfare. He argued that automation in the downstream petroleum sector should be designed in a way that creates new opportunities rather than eliminating existing ones.
Zango called on the Federal Government and relevant regulatory agencies to urgently develop clear policies that would balance technological innovation with labour protection in the oil and gas sector.
He also appealed to AA Rano’s management to demonstrate social responsibility, reminding the company that many petrol station attendants today were once in similar humble positions as its leadership.
“They should not be pushed out of their livelihoods in the name of innovation,” he said, calling for dialogue between the company, workers, and regulators before the planned rollout of the unmanned stations.
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