Petrol Attendants' Jobs at Risk as Self-Service Fuel Emerges — Stakeholders

Stakeholders have raised concerns about the future of petrol station attendants, whose jobs could be threatened by the introduction of self-service fuel dispensing in Nigeria.

They were reacting to the emerging model in the country, with Sunbed Energy deploying the system in Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Public analyst Mr Jide Ojo, speaking in an interview in Abuja on Monday, said self-service dispensing could help address complaints of customers receiving less fuel than they paid for, but warned of a possible downside in job losses. He noted that some large filling stations employ as many as 30 attendants, many of whose duties could become unnecessary if motorists routinely dispense fuel themselves.

"It is a good development because nobody is cheating you of the true value of the fuel that is dispensed in your vehicle, but it will create unemployment in the country," he said.

Economist Dr Aliyu Ilias said self-service fuel dispensing has been in use in Europe and other parts of the world for decades. He said Nigeria's growing use of electronic payments could make the system easier to implement, but questioned whether the country was psychologically and institutionally ready for the transition. "Self-service is good if there is adequate system technology, especially from the CBN," he said.

Ilias added that while self-service could be economical for fuel companies, it would likely reduce the number of employees required at filling stations, and noted that employment remains a major concern as automation expands across sectors.

Labour leader Mr Owei Lakemfa, a former Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU), said Nigeria's relatively recent adoption of self-service dispensing reflects how slowly some technologies have been introduced into the country. He noted that self-service stations have existed internationally for decades and cited potential benefits including shorter waiting times and fewer opportunities for manipulating fuel pumps, but also pointed to the employment implications, saying widespread adoption could reduce the need for attendants and contribute to unemployment.

He said Nigeria would need to prepare for the social consequences of technological change by putting in place measures to support workers displaced by automation.

"This goes beyond whether motorists should dispense their own fuel. It raises a broader question about how Nigeria can adopt technologies. It is also about how Nigeria can improve efficiency and reduce opportunities for malpractice while ensuring that workers affected by automation are not left without alternatives," he said.

"As self-service dispensing gradually gains a foothold in the Nigerian downstream petroleum sector, its long-term impact will not only depend on the technology itself. It also depends on how businesses, regulators and policymakers manage the transition for workers and consumers," he added.