BARELY 48 hours after suspending its strike, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has accused Dangote Refinery’s management of reneging on an earlier agreement.
The union warned that it may resume the suspended industrial action following the alleged breach involving truck drivers who are NUPENG members.
In a statement signed by NUPENG President Williams Akporeha and General Secretary Afolabi Olawale, the union called on members to be on red alert and urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), civil society groups, and international labour organizations to stand in solidarity against what it described as a violation of workers’ rights.
The dispute stems from a meeting convened by the Department of State Services (DSS), attended by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and representatives of the NLC, where Dangote Refinery had reportedly agreed to recognise the unionisation rights of its employees.
Despite this, truck drivers who are long-standing NUPENG members were reportedly ordered to remove union stickers from their vehicles.
The strike, which began on Monday, was initially prompted by claims that Dangote Refinery was hiring drivers on the condition that they not join the union—a charge the refinery denied, calling it “cheap blackmail.”
The refinery, which opened last year with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, is Africa’s largest and was established to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported petrol.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed during the DSS meeting stated that employees wishing to unionise would be allowed to do so, and the process should be completed within two weeks (September 9–22, 2025).
It also stipulated that no worker would face victimization and that the employer would not establish any other union.
The MoU was signed by Dangote Group Managing Director Sayyu Dantata, NMDPRA representative O.K. Ukoha, and union officials including Benson Upah (NLC), N.A. Toro (TUC), and NUPENG leaders.
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment was represented by Amos Falonipe, Director of Trade Union Services & Industrial Relations.
While Dangote Refinery has helped lower petrol prices and challenged established players, tensions have emerged over the company’s plan to deploy thousands of CNG-powered trucks, which has delayed operations for the existing diesel-powered fleet of over 20,000 tanker operators.
The refinery maintained that there is no fuel shortage and emphasized ongoing negotiations.