The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has issued a stern warning of an indefinite strike beginning Monday, September 8, 2025, unless grievances with the management of Dangote Refinery are addressed.
The Core Dispute
In a statement jointly signed by its President, Comrade Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Comrade Afolabi Olawale, NUPENG accused Dangote Refinery of implementing anti-labour policies that undermine the rights and livelihoods of tanker drivers under its Petroleum and Tanker Drivers Branch.
Central to the conflict is Dangote’s reported stance that the 10,000 drivers recruited to operate its new fleet of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks would not be permitted to join any trade union. NUPENG described this as a violation of the Nigerian Constitution and international labour laws that guarantee freedom of association.
Despite repeated meetings and appeals, including with the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), the union said all efforts to persuade Dangote to reverse his position have failed. Matters escalated when MRS Oil, owned by Dangote’s cousin Sayyu Dantata, allegedly began recruiting drivers on the condition that they sign undertakings not to join existing unions.
Wider Implications
NUPENG warned that barring drivers from union membership amounts to “enslavement” and accused Dangote and Dantata of seeking to monopolize petroleum distribution.
“This is not philanthropy—it is economic sabotage,” the union declared, accusing the refinery of betraying the trust workers placed in it during its construction and commissioning.
If the strike goes ahead, petroleum loading and distribution could grind to a halt nationwide, disrupting supply chains and impacting millions of Nigerians.
The union has called on the Nigerian Midstream & Downstream Petroleum Authority to invoke sections of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to curb anti-competitive practices and enforce workers’ rights.
As the September 8 deadline approaches, Nigerians wait anxiously to see if dialogue can prevent a crisis that could plunge the nation into fuel scarcity.
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