Barely 48 hours after suspending its nationwide strike, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has accused the management of Dangote Refinery of reneging on agreements reached earlier this week.
In a joint statement signed by its president, Williams Akporeha, and general secretary, Afolabi Olawale, the union warned that it may be forced to resume the suspended industrial action over what it described as a breach of commitments made by the refinery, the Federal Government, and truck drivers under NUPENG-PTD.
“We are by this statement placing all our members on red alert for the resumption of the suspended nationwide industrial action and calling on the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, all regional and global working people, and civil society organisations to rise in support and solidarity against this threat of the capitalist world,” NUPENG declared.
The union said that during a meeting convened by the Department of State Services (DSS) — and attended by Finance Minister Wale Edun as well as representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Dangote Refinery had agreed to allow unionisation of its employees.
However, NUPENG alleged that despite the resolution, truck drivers who had been members of NUPENG-PTD for years were instructed on Wednesday to remove the union’s stickers from their vehicles.
The statement partly read: “We call on the Federal Government not to allow the Navy and other security agents who are paid by the resources of this country to be used with impunity against the laws and people of this country.
“Security agents should not allow an individual to ride roughshod with impunity, even while not observing terms of agreement reached in meetings in which security agents facilitated, along with ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
NUPENG had called off its strike on Tuesday after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the DSS office. The agreement affirmed that workers’ unionisation is a right under Nigerian labour laws, and that employees of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals who wish to unionise would be free to do so.
The MoU further stated that the process of unionisation would begin immediately and be completed within two weeks (September 9–22, 2025), with assurances that “no worker or employee of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical will be victimised.”
The document was signed by Sayyu Dantata, managing director of Dangote Group; O.K. Ukoha of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA); Ojimba Jibrin of Dangote Group; as well as labour representatives Benson Upah (NLC), N.A. Toro (TUC), Akporeha Williams and Afolabi Olawale (NUPENG).
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment was represented by Amos Falonipe, director of Trade Union Services & Industrial Relations.