iDeemlawfulAA Rano Nigeria, a major player in the downstream petroleum sector, has unveiled Nigeria’s first fully automated and unmanned fuel stations, signalling a significant shift in fuel retail operations driven by digital technology.
The rollout follows a strategic partnership between AA Rano and Petrosoft Limited, a Nigerian technology company known for downstream oil and gas management solutions.
Through the collaboration, Petrosoft will implement its automated fuel station systems across AA Rano’s retail outlets nationwide.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the company announced that the unmanned stations are expected to become operational in January 2026, offering round-the-clock self-service refuelling, contactless payment options and real-time monitoring, without the presence of on-site attendants.
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AA Rano explained that the automated stations aim to enhance transparency, cut operational inefficiencies and assure customers of accurate fuel delivery for every purchase.
Commenting on the initiative, Mohammed Sule, General Manager, Retail at AA Rano Nigeria, said the move underscores the firm’s commitment to innovation and improved service delivery in a competitive downstream environment
.“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.
Petrosoft Limited will drive the stations using its proprietary SmartPump technology, which combines retail automation, corporate fuel management and inventory oversight.
The system supports self-service dispensing, automatic vehicle identification for fleet operations and real-time pump control, alongside advanced tank gauging and cloud-based monitoring to track fuel volumes, detect leakages and prevent theft.
Petrosoft’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Joshua Denila, said the initiative highlights the capacity of locally developed solutions to resolve persistent inefficiencies in Nigeria’s fuel retail industry.
“We are proud to partner with AA Rano on this historic project. Our solutions are 100 per cent locally developed but 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.
Meanwhile, petrol station attendants operating under the Concerned Petrol Station Workers platform have criticised AA Rano’s plan to deploy what it describes as Nigeria’s first fully automated, unmanned filling stations.
The workers warned that implementing the initiative without adequate safeguards could worsen unemployment and exacerbate insecurity nationwide.
Reacting to the development, the group’s Convener and labour rights advocate, Comrade Ibrahim Zango, expressed strong opposition to the project.
In a statement issued in Kaduna on Thursday, January 8, 2026, Zango said the plan threatens the livelihoods of many young Nigerians currently employed as fuel attendants.
He added that the timing was inappropriate, given the country’s fragile economic conditions and rising unemployment.
“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 industry stakeholders to weigh the social implications of the innovation, noting that thousands of households depend on incomes from petrol station employment.
“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 further stated that many attendants have spent years in the profession and should not be displaced without a clear and humane transition plan.
“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.