Petrol station workers, under the aegis of the Concerned Petrol Station Workers, have 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 move, if implemented without adequate safeguards, could worsen unemployment and heighten insecurity across the country.
AA Rano recently announced plans to roll out the automated stations this January, explaining that the outlets would operate a 24-hour self-service fuelling system.
According to the company, the stations will rely on contactless payment platforms, real-time monitoring technology, and automated dispensing systems, thereby eliminating the need for on-site pump attendants.
Reacting to the announcement, the convener of the Concerned Petrol Station Workers and rights advocate, Comrade Ibrahim Zango, PUNCH reports, expressed strong reservations about the initiative.
In a statement issued in Kaduna on Thursday, Zango said the plan could deprive many young Nigerians currently working as petrol station attendants of their means of livelihood.
He described the timing of the initiative as inappropriate, given the country’s prevailing economic hardship and rising unemployment.
“At a time when Nigeria is already grappling with mass unemployment, a rising cost of living, and growing insecurity, deploying job-eliminating technology without safeguards is dangerous,” Zango said.
He urged stakeholders to consider the human cost of the innovation, noting that thousands of families depend on income from petrol station jobs.
“Imagine the number of AA Rano fuel stations across the country and beyond, and the number of pump attendants earning a living from these stations,” he added.
Zango further noted that many attendants have spent decades in the profession and deserve better than sudden displacement without a clear transition plan.
“Sending us out of jobs some of us have done for decades without robust plans will only deepen our national crisis,” he stated.
While acknowledging the importance of technological advancement, the workers’ leader insisted that innovation should not come at the expense of workers’ welfare.
He argued that automation in the downstream petroleum sector should be structured to create new opportunities rather than eliminate existing ones.
Zango also called on the Federal Government and relevant regulatory agencies to urgently develop clear policies that balance technological innovation with labour protection.
He appealed to AA Rano’s management to uphold its social responsibility, saying that many petrol station attendants today started from humble beginnings similar to that of the company’s chairman.
“They should not be pushed out of their livelihoods in the name of innovation,” Zango said, urging dialogue among the company, workers, and regulators before the project is implemented.
