…Petrol workers oppose plan over job security
AA Rano Nigeria, a major downstream petroleum marketing company, has announced plans to introduce Nigeria’s first fully automated and unmanned fuel stations, a move that has sparked concern among petrol station workers over possible job losses.
The company announced that the stations will be launched this month, following a business partnership with Petrosoft Limited, a Nigerian technology firm that provides downstream oil and gas business management systems.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, AA Rano said the unmanned stations would operate a 24-hour self-service fuelling system supported by contactless payments and real-time monitoring technology, eliminating the need for on-site attendants.
The company said the project is aimed at improving transparency, reducing inefficiencies and ensuring that customers get the exact quantity of fuel they pay for.
Speaking on the initiative, Mohammed Sule, General Manager, Retail, AA Rano Nigeria, said the company was committed to innovation and improved service delivery.
“Our commitment to excellence and innovation led us to Petrosoft. By introducing unmanned, automated stations, we are not just adopting technology; we are setting a new standard for reliability and speed in the Nigerian downstream sector. This project ensures our customers can fuel at any time with total confidence,” Sule said.
Under the partnership, Petrosoft Limited will deploy its SmartPump technology across AA Rano’s nationwide retail network.
The technology integrates retail automation, corporate fuel management and inventory monitoring. It enables self-service refuelling, automatic vehicle identification for corporate fleets, real-time dispenser control, advanced tank gauging and cloud-based monitoring to track fuel levels, detect leaks and prevent theft.
The Chief Executive Officer of Petrosoft Limited, Dr. Joshua Denila, stated that the project demonstrated how Nigerian technology could address long-standing issues in the energy retail sector.
“We are proud to partner with AA Rano on this historic project. Our solutions are 100% locally developed, yet they meet global standards for IoT and automation. From retail outlets to large-scale corporate fuelling hubs, our goal is to eliminate inefficiencies and deliver a world-class experience for end users,” Denila said.
However, petrol station workers under the platform of the Concerned Petrol Station Workers have rejected the planned introduction of the unmanned stations, warning that the move could worsen unemployment and insecurity.
The group’s convener, Comrade Ibrahim Zango, expressed the workers’ concerns in a statement issued in Kaduna on Thursday.
Zango said many young Nigerians working as pump attendants could lose their means of livelihood if the project is implemented without safeguards.
“At a time when Nigeria is already grappling with mass unemployment, 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. “So imagine the number of AA Rano fuel stations alone across the country and even beyond. Imagine the number of pump attendants working and earning their living from these stations,” he added.
Zango said many attendants had spent decades in the job and deserved protection. “To us, sending us out of the jobs some of us have been doing for decades without robust plans will only multiply our crisis as a country,” he stated.
While acknowledging the importance of technological progress, the workers’ leader said innovation should not come at the expense of workers’ welfare.
He said automation in the downstream petroleum sector should create new opportunities rather than destroy existing ones.
Zango called on the Federal Government and regulatory agencies to introduce policies that would balance innovation with labour protection.
He also appealed to AA Rano to engage workers and regulators before implementing the project. “They should not be pushed out of their livelihoods in the name of innovation,” he said.
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